About this wine
CatWalk Chardonnay is Kuju Winery's flagship white bottling, named — like its sibling CatWalk Merlot — after the two resident winery cats that watch over fermentation from the factory window; the CatWalk label is reserved each year for the estate's proudest work. Made from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay farmed at 850m elevation in the Kuju Highlands, the wine is fermented and aged in oak barrels for roughly six months. The result is a clean, fruit-forward white with aromas of white peach, grapefruit, pineapple and nectarine layered with subtle notes of nut, honey and butter from barrel contact, carried by the bright, three-dimensional acidity typical of Kuju's cool highland terroir and a long finish. The 2021 vintage won Gold at the Japan Wine Competition 2023, and a special hand-picked 'Nightharvest' edition — grapes harvested at midnight under moonlight to preserve higher acidity — took Gold plus the category's top award the same year, cementing CatWalk Chardonnay's status as one of Kyushu's most decorated white wines.
A clean, approachable barrel-aged Chardonnay that showcases how elegant Japanese cool-climate white wine can be — a great entry point for anyone new to Japanese wine.
Sommelier's Note
"One of Kyushu's most decorated whites — the Nightharvest bottling's Gold-plus-category-top sweep at the 2023 Japan Wine Competition proves that high-altitude Japanese Chardonnay can rival cool-climate benchmarks abroad."
Food Pairings
A versatile food wine: excellent with grilled or steamed white fish, tempura, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, creamy pasta, and soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert. The barrel-derived richness also stands up to butter-based sauces.
When to drink it
Named for the winery's two cats and reserved for the estate's best work each vintage — ideal for celebratory dinners, gifts to wine enthusiasts, or an elegant seasonal lunch.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Style
- White
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Price Range
- ¥5,000-6,000
Terroir & Winemaking
100% estate-grown Chardonnay from Kuju Winery's own vineyard on the volcanic-ash slopes of the Kuju Highlands (approx. 850m elevation). Fermented and aged in oak barrels for about 6 months. A limited 'Nightharvest' variant is picked by hand around midnight under moonlight to retain higher natural acidity (must sugar approx. 23.5 Brix, acidity above 8.5g/L in the 2021 vintage). Bottled at 720ml, ABV approximately 12.5% (varies slightly by vintage). Vintages released include 2019, 2021, 2022 (Nightharvest) and 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does CatWalk Chardonnay taste like?
- A clean, fruit-forward white with notes of white peach, grapefruit, pineapple and nectarine, layered with subtle nut, honey and butter nuances from oak aging, balanced by bright acidity and a long finish.
- What food pairs best with it?
- It pairs beautifully with grilled or steamed white fish, tempura, roast chicken, creamy pasta, and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
- Why is it called 'CatWalk'?
- The name honors the two resident cats at Kuju Winery who watch over fermentation from the factory window; each year's proudest bottling is given the CatWalk label.
- What is the 'Nightharvest' version?
- It's a limited edition where grapes are hand-picked around midnight under moonlight to preserve higher natural acidity, resulting in an even more vibrant, structured wine — the 2021 Nightharvest won Gold plus the category's top award at the Japan Wine Competition 2023.
- Has it won any awards?
- Yes. The 2021 vintage won Gold at the Japan Wine Competition 2023, and the 2021 Nightharvest edition took Gold plus the category's top prize the same year.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
久住ワイナリー エボニー
Kuju Winery EBONY
RedEbony (wild grape × Merlot hybrid)
Kuju Winery EBONY is a landmark Japanese red made from 'Ebony,' an original grape variety the winery bred by crossing wild mountain grapes (yamabudo) native to the Kuju Highlands with Merlot — a cross formerly known during development as 'Kushifuru no Yume.' Grapes are left on the vine as long as possible to push sugar levels into the 26-32 Brix range, concentrating the wild grape's naturally intense acidity and pigment. The result is a full-bodied, bone-dry red with an almost jet-black (ebony) color, deep black-fruit concentration, black pepper spice, and a distinctive wild, savory umami character rarely found in Japanese wine. The 2020 vintage won the Gold Award and top prize in its category at Japan's 1st Yamabudo (Wild Grape) Wine Competition, cementing EBONY's status as one of Kuju Winery's signature bottlings.
メルロー キャットウォーク
CatWalk Merlot
RedMerlot
CatWalk Merlot is Kuju Winery's signature red bottling, named after the two resident winery cats that watch over fermentation from the factory window — the wine given the CatWalk name each year is the estate's proudest work. It is a blend of estate-grown and contract-grower Merlot from the 850m-elevation Kuju Highlands, fermented with a combination of wild and cultivated yeast and aged in oak barrels for about a year. The result is a restrained, elegant red marked by dark fruit and earthy aromas, mineral and spice nuances, a smoky complexity, and the bright, cool-climate acidity typical of Kuju's highland terroir. The 2022 vintage was awarded Silver at the Japan Wine Competition 2024, continuing a string of medals for the CatWalk series (whose sibling Chardonnay CatWalk has taken Gold and category-best honors).
高原の雫
Kuju Winery Kougen no Shizuku
WhitedessertSteuben
Kougen no Shizuku ("Highland's Dewdrop") is Kuju Winery's signature ice wine, one of only a handful of true ice wines produced in Japan. Made from Steuben grapes grown at the winery's own vineyard 850 meters up in the Kuju Highlands of Oita Prefecture, the grapes are left on the vine into the depths of winter and allowed to freeze naturally before pressing, concentrating their sugars and flavor several times over. The result is a lusciously sweet, honey-gold dessert wine with intense notes of ripe mango and honey. Because natural freeze-concentration is unpredictable and juice yields are tiny, Kougen no Shizuku has historically been released only in small, numbered batches — as few as 58 bottles in some vintages — making it one of Kuju Winery's rarest and most sought-after bottlings.