Cuvée Misawa Rouge
キュヴェ三澤 赤
Grace Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc · Petit Verdot
About this wine
Cuvée Misawa Rouge is Grace Wine's flagship Bordeaux-style red blend, grown at the estate's own Misawa Vineyard in Akeno, Hokuto City (Yamanashi) at roughly 700m elevation — one of the sunniest, most diurnal sites in Japan. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot is vinified and aged separately by variety before blending, then matured in French oak for about 15 months and bottled without fining or filtration. Vintage composition varies year to year depending on ripening conditions, and the wine is only produced in years judged good enough. Critics have compared it to a very good Bordeaux classified growth, noting cassis, blackberry, black pepper, mocha and toasted-oak notes alongside a savory, medium-bodied palate.
A serious, food-friendly introduction to premium Japanese red wine — structured like a fine Bordeaux blend but with its own distinct sense of place.
Sommelier's Note
"A Bordeaux blend that has been described by international critics as comparable to a very good classified growth — proof that Japan's Akeno terroir can produce world-class Cabernet-based reds, not just Koshu."
Food Pairings
Pairs beautifully with grilled duck, soy-glazed dishes, and mushroom-based cuisine. It also complements delicate Japanese flavors such as Wagyu sukiyaki or grilled eel (unagi) with tare sauce, thanks to its savory, umami-friendly structure.
When to drink it
Special celebrations, formal dinners, or as a prestigious gift for wine connoisseurs.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
- Style
- Red
- Price Range
- ¥8,000-15,000
Terroir & Winemaking
Sourced entirely from the estate's Misawa Vineyard (Akeno, Hokuto City), grown at high altitude with large diurnal temperature swings. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are hand-harvested, sorted twice, fermented separately with each variety's own approach, then aged individually in French oak before final blending and roughly 15 months of barrel aging. Bottled unfined and unfiltered; blend ratios differ by vintage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What grape varieties are in Cuvée Misawa Rouge?
- It is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grown at Grace Wine's Misawa Vineyard in Akeno; exact ratios vary by vintage.
- What does it taste like?
- Expect cassis and blackberry fruit, black pepper, mocha and toasted-oak notes, with a savory, medium-bodied and food-friendly palate.
- What food does it pair with?
- It pairs well with grilled duck and mushroom dishes, and with soy-based Japanese cuisine such as Wagyu sukiyaki or grilled eel (unagi).
- Is it produced every year?
- No — Grace Wine only releases Cuvée Misawa Rouge in vintages where the Misawa Vineyard grapes ripen well enough, so production is not annual.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
キュヴェ三澤 明野甲州
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WhiteKoshu
Cuvée Misawa Akeno Koshu is Grace Wine's flagship single-vineyard Koshu, grown on trellis-trained vines in the Misawa Vineyard in Akeno, Hokuto City, Yamanashi — an area with the longest sunshine hours in Japan at roughly 700m elevation. Made from Koshu grapes cultivated since 1992 without chaptalization, acid adjustment, or sur lie aging, it lets the grape's natural character speak for itself. The 2013 vintage became the first Japanese wine to win a Gold Medal and Regional Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in 2014, and later vintages went on to win further DWWA Platinum and Gold honors, cementing this cuvée's status as a landmark for Japanese Koshu.
グレイス・ワイン 甲州
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グリド甲州
Gris de Koshu
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Gris de Koshu is Grace Wine's pioneering skin-contact ('orange wine') expression of the Koshu grape, first produced in 1999 after the winery's fourth-generation owner was inspired by the potential of Pinot Gris during a visit to Alsace. The name combines 'Gris' — the French word for the pale grayish-pink hue of Koshu's grape skins — with 'de'. Unlike standard Koshu, the juice is fermented and macerated with its skins (in some lots for several weeks, across stainless tank, wooden vat, and thermo-maceration lots that are later blended), extracting a salmon-pink-tinged, deep lemon color along with extra texture, aromatics, and a distinctive gentle bitterness. In 2012 it became the first Japanese wine to win a Gold Medal and Regional Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in its category, cementing its reputation as a landmark example of Koshu's potential beyond conventional winemaking.