About this wine
Tap-Kop Lemberger is a red wine made from Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) grown at Kondo Vineyard's Tap-Kop farm in Mikasa, Hokkaido. Lemberger is a rare variety in Japan, and Kondo's cool-climate version brings out the variety's characteristic freshness, spice, and dark fruit profile. The wine exemplifies the estate's minimal-intervention philosophy.
Lemberger is similar to Shiraz or Malbec in its dark fruit character, but fresher and spicier. If you enjoy medium-bodied reds with good structure, this is an excellent introduction to Hokkaido red wine.
Sommelier's Note
"A rare cool-climate Lemberger from Japan — fresh violet, dark plum, and white pepper on the nose, with a finely grained tannic structure and a clean finish. Demonstrates that Sorachi can produce compelling reds beyond Pinot Noir."
Food Pairings
Hokkaido lamb Jingiskan; venison or elk stew; miso-marinated grilled pork; burdock and mushroom dishes; spiced charcuterie.
When to drink it
Autumn and winter dinners; barbecue with game or lamb; Japanese izakaya
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Lemberger
- Style
- Red, dry
- Price Range
- Around ¥3,500–¥4,500 (cellar-door price)
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) from Tap-Kop farm, Mikasa. No synthetic chemicals in vineyard. Minimal intervention winemaking at Kurisawa Wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Lemberger?
- Lemberger (also called Blaufränkisch) is a red grape variety originally from Austria and Germany, known for dark fruit flavours, spicy notes, and good acidity. It is rarely grown in Japan, making Kondo's version a genuine rarity.
- How does Hokkaido Lemberger compare to Austrian Blaufränkisch?
- Kondo's cool-climate Lemberger is fresher and lighter than many Austrian examples, with brighter fruit and higher natural acidity — a distinctive expression of the Sorachi terroir.
- What food does Tap-Kop Lemberger pair with?
- Its fresh acidity and fine tannins make it a natural match for Hokkaido lamb Jingiskan, venison stew, and miso-marinated grilled pork, as well as savory, umami-rich Japanese dishes in general.
- When is the best time to drink it?
- It shows beautifully young, within a few years of release, when its violet and dark plum fruit is most vivid, though its fine-grained tannic structure also allows it to evolve gracefully over the medium term.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
タプ・コプ ブラン
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WhitedrySauvignon Blanc · Kerner · Gewürztraminer · Riesling · Chardonnay
Tap-Kop Blanc is an aromatic dry white wine sourced from Kondo Vineyard's Tap-Kop farm in Mikasa, Hokkaido. The wine is a blend of aromatic white varieties — primarily Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Chardonnay — harvested from cool-climate vines farmed without synthetic chemicals. Pressed slowly and fermented in large wooden tanks and stainless-steel barrels, it captures the vivid freshness of the Sorachi appellation. The wine rewards 1–2 years of cellaring to develop complexity while retaining its characteristic bright acidity.
コンコン クヴェヴリ
Konkon Kvevri
orangeamberdryPinot Gris · Auxerrois · Chardonnay · Sauvignon Blanc · Gewürztraminer · Kerner · Sylvaner · Riesling
Konkon Kvevri is Kondo Vineyard's most distinctive wine and Japan's most celebrated example of qvevri-style winemaking. It is a field blend of up to eight white varieties — Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Sylvaner, and Riesling — drawn 56% from the Tap-Kop farm (Mikasa) and 44% from the Moseushi farm (Iwamizawa). Grapes are harvested together from the mixed-planted parcels and fermented with skins and seeds in buried Georgian qvevri vessels (600L+) as well as local Hokkaido earthenware made by potter Futoshi Nakamura of Shari Kiln. The wine spends approximately six months in qvevri before moving to oak barrels for five more months. In its youth, aromas of black tea, kumquat, and fresh herbs appear; with time, rose, ginger, clove, and sandalwood emerge, and the wine deepens into an amber profile of extraordinary complexity. Production is extremely limited.
タプ・コプ ピノ・ノワール
Tap-Kop Pinot Noir
ReddryPinot Noir
Tap-Kop Pinot Noir is Kondo Vineyard's premier red, made from Pinot Noir grown at the Tap-Kop farm in Mikasa (60%) and the Moseushi farm in Iwamizawa's Kurisawa district (40%). The wine showcases the cool-climate character of Sorachi with vivid red berry fruit, a perfumed nose of red fruits and spice, and an elegantly structured palate. In its youth it displays bright red cherry and raspberry, with clove and pepper notes emerging on the finish. With further aging (peak expected 2026–2032 from the 2021 vintage), deep forest floor, mushroom, and spice complexity develop.