About this wine
Quanesse Yama Sauvignon is Noto Wine's flagship premium red, crafted to fully express the terroir of the Noto Peninsula. The blend is 90% Yama Sauvignon — a hardy Japanese hybrid of wild Vitis coignetiae and Cabernet Sauvignon — and 10% Merlot, sourced from grapes grown under strict cultivation standards in a special vineyard zone that yields higher sugar and aromatic concentration than the standard lots. The wine is aged roughly 17 months in French oak barrels and bottled unfiltered and unclarified to preserve its full character. It has won gold at the Japan Wine Competition (Kokusan Wine Concours), including in the domestic-improved red variety category.
A bold, full-bodied introduction to Japan's own Yama Sauvignon grape — rich dark-fruit flavors and firm tannins make it a memorable first step into Japanese terroir reds.
Sommelier's Note
"Noto Wine's true flagship — the wild, earthy intensity of Yama Sauvignon softened and structured by Merlot and 17 months of French oak. A gold-medal-winning benchmark for what Japanese hybrid varieties can achieve."
Food Pairings
Best with richly flavored grilled meats — venison, lamb, roast beef, and hamburger steak — as well as soy-sauce- or miso-based simmered dishes such as satoimo no nikkorogashi (simmered taro) and tare-glazed yakitori, where the wine's firm tannins cut through the umami and fat.
When to drink it
Special dinners, celebratory gatherings, and thoughtful gifts for wine enthusiasts who value distinctive regional expressions.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Yama Sauvignon, Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Price Range
- ¥6,000-7,000
Terroir & Winemaking
Yama Sauvignon grapes are hand-harvested from a special cultivation zone under strict canopy and yield management to concentrate sugar and aromatics; blended with 10% Merlot. Aged approximately 17 months in French oak barrels, then bottled unfiltered and unclarified (無濾過・無清澄) to retain full texture and complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Quanesse Yama Sauvignon taste like?
- Concentrated blackberry and dried plum fruit meet earthy notes of mushroom and dried grass, with vanilla and clove spice from French oak aging. The palate is full and round with fine, dense tannins and a long finish.
- What is the grape composition?
- It is a blend of 90% Yama Sauvignon, a Japanese hybrid of wild Vitis coignetiae and Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot.
- What food pairs best with this wine?
- Rich grilled meats such as venison, lamb, and roast beef, as well as soy-sauce- and miso-based Japanese dishes like simmered taro and tare yakitori.
- Has this wine won any awards?
- Yes, Quanesse has won gold at Japan's domestic wine competition (Japan Wine Competition / Kokusan Wine Concours), including in the domestic-improved red variety category.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
ノトロゼ
NOTO ROSE
RoséYama Sauvignon
NOTO ROSE is the signature rosé from Noto Wine, Ishikawa Prefecture's flagship winery on the Noto Peninsula. Made from the native Japanese hybrid Yama Sauvignon (a cross of wild Vitis coignetiae and Cabernet Sauvignon), it is bottled using the winery's 'nama-zume' (unpasteurized) method, which skips heat treatment to preserve the grape's fresh, vivid character. The wine shows a vivid carmine-red color, moderate fruit sweetness balanced by crisp acidity, and a fuller body with savory depth drawn from Noto's oyster-shell-enriched red soil.
能登ワイン ヤマソーヴィニヨン
Yama Sauvignon
RedYama Sauvignon
Yama Sauvignon is Noto Wine's flagship single-varietal red, made entirely from Yama Sauvignon — a rare Japanese grape bred by crossing the wild mountain vine Yamabudo (Vitis coignetiae) with Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are hand-harvested from vineyards around Anamizu on the Noto Peninsula in September and October, at the point of optimal sugar-acid balance, and vinified as a single varietal with no blending. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, and the wine is bottled unheated (nama-zume) to preserve its living, vivid character. The result is a deep purple-hued dry red with firm acidity and ripe fruit concentration, framed by wild berry aromatics — raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry — layered with mint, bell pepper, and an earthy, rustic undertone inherited from its wild Yamabudo parentage. It has won a Gold Award in the medium-bodied red category of Nihon de Nomou Saiko no Wine (2017) and a Silver Award at the Sakura Awards (2018), and earlier vintages took consecutive Bronze prizes at the Japan Wine Competition (2008-2009).