About Chardonnay Barrel
- Style
- White
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Price Range
- 375ml, ¥1,500
- excl. tax
Chardonnay Barrel is Ina Wine Workshop's 'op.21' bottling, made from the exact same 2015-harvest Chardonnay grown in Ina City, Nagano, as its sibling 'op.13' tank-aged Chardonnay — the two shared identical fruit and winemaking up to the point where one lot went into bottle and the other into barrel. This barrel-aged portion spent under a month in oak during the winter of 2015, then was bottled and left to mature in the dark for roughly 15 months before release, arriving on shelves about a year after op.13. Despite the extended bottle age, the actual oak contact was brief, and the winemaker describes the result as noticeably more compact and restrained than a typical deep, richly oaked New World or European Chardonnay — a scale the winery embraces as characteristic of Ina's own style rather than an imitation of it.
Proof that short barrel contact and patient bottle aging can do more for a wine's integration than months in new oak — restrained, compact, and distinctly Ina rather than a New World imitation.
New to wine?
A gentle, low-key introduction to oaked Chardonnay — the barrel note is present but never heavy-handed, so it won't overwhelm a first-timer.
Food Pairings
The restrained oak character makes it a flexible food wine: try it with grilled white fish, roast chicken, or cream-based pasta. Its gentle richness also works well with tempura and other lightly fried dishes.
When to drink it
A quiet evening at home, a small dinner with friends, or as an easy-drinking gift bottle for someone curious about Japanese Chardonnay.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Chardonnay, harvested in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture in 2015 — the same fruit and process as the winery's tank-aged 'op.13' bottling until the point of barrel vs. bottle divergence. Barrel-aged for under one month over winter 2015, then bottled and matured in the dark for approximately 15 months before release as 'op.21'. 375ml format, released roughly a year after op.13.
About the producer
Ina Wine WorkshopA husband-and-wife 'wine workshop' crafting Ina Valley's small-lot, contract-made wines.伊那市, 長野県 · Founded 2014Visit the producer page →More wines from Ina Wine Workshop
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- Hinoki MerlotRed · Merlot
- Kerner DryWhite · Kerner
- Mountain Grape WineSweet · Yamabudou (Vitis coignetiae, cultivated)
- Niagara DryWhite · Niagara
- Yamamurasaki PremiumRed · Shindai W-3 (Yamabudou / Vitis coignetiae, wine-specific cultivar)
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is Chardonnay Barrel (op.21) different from Ina Wine Workshop's other Chardonnay, op.13?
- They start from the exact same 2015-harvest Chardonnay and winemaking process, but op.13 was tank-aged and bottled in 720ml, while op.21 was aged in oak barrel for under a month and then bottle-matured for about 15 months before release in 375ml.
- Is this a heavily oaked, buttery-style Chardonnay?
- No. The barrel contact was brief (under a month), so the oak influence is subtle rather than the deep, rich style typical of many New World or European barrel-aged Chardonnays.
- What food pairs well with this wine?
- Its restrained oak and balanced body make it versatile with grilled white fish, roast chicken, tempura, and creamy dishes like gratin or chawanmushi.
- Is op.21 ready to drink now, or should it be cellared?
- It is ready to drink on release, having already spent about 15 months maturing in the bottle after its brief barrel aging.
Want to know more about this wine?
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