About Kuro Tora
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Merlot
- Price Range
- ¥5,500-7,000
- Alcohol
- 13%
Kuro Tora is Sakaki Wine Brewing's flagship 100% estate Merlot, released each vintage under a kanji-numeral year suffix (e.g. Kuro Tora 2023, Kuro Tora 2025) and marketed as the winery's top cuvée under its "Vino della Gatta" label, with artwork by contemporary artist Miwa Komatsumi. Grapes come exclusively from the winery's own Tora (elevation approx. 480m) and Kuro (elevation approx. 440m) hillside plots in the Chikuma River Wine Valley, Nagano — the same vineyard complex that supplies the Cabernet Sauvignon for the winery's Neko Punch, though Kuro Tora itself is a separate, pure-Merlot bottling. The nose shows well-ripened dark fruit, earthy burdock-root notes, espresso, and cinnamon-clove spice, with silky, fine-grained tannins and elegant balance; a recent vintage won a bronze medal at the Japan Wine Competition. It is sold in small, limited quantities (often one bottle per customer) and has drawn praise from Bordeaux Merlot fans surprised that Japan can produce wine of this caliber.
Kuro Tora is the wine that proves Sakaki can make serious, Bordeaux-caliber Merlot — silky, spice-laced, and worth seeking out each vintage before it sells out.
New to wine?
A polished, Bordeaux-leaning Japanese Merlot with silky tannins — an accessible way to see how serious Japanese red wine can be.
Food Pairings
The dark-fruit richness, earthy burdock-root nuance, and silky tannins pair naturally with grilled red meats, hamburger steak, duck breast, and mushroom-based dishes; the espresso and clove spice notes also suit lightly smoked fare and aged hard cheeses.
When to drink it
Special dinners, gifts for wine lovers, occasions calling for the winery's flagship bottling
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Merlot from the estate's own Tora (approx. 480m) and Kuro (approx. 440m) hillside plots in the Chikuma River Wine Valley, Nagano. Released annually under a kanji-numeral vintage suffix (e.g. Kuro Tora 2023/2025) as the winery's top cuvée. ABV 13%, bottled at 750ml.
About the producer
Sakaki Wine BrewingCat-themed Nagano wines built backward from the perfect food pairing坂城町, 長野県 · Founded 2018Visit the producer page →Frequently Asked Questions
- What grape is Kuro Tora made from?
- Kuro Tora is 100% Merlot, grown exclusively on Sakaki Wine Brewing's own Tora and Kuro hillside vineyards in Nagano's Chikuma River Wine Valley.
- Is Kuro Tora the same wine as Neko Punch?
- No. Both draw fruit from the winery's Tora/Kuro vineyard complex, but Neko Punch is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon while Kuro Tora is a separate, pure-Merlot flagship bottling released as the winery's top cuvée.
- What does Kuro Tora taste like?
- Expect well-ripened dark fruit, earthy burdock-root notes, espresso, and cinnamon-clove spice, carried on silky, fine-grained tannins with an elegant, balanced finish.
- What food pairs well with Kuro Tora?
- Its dark fruit and silky tannins suit grilled red meats, hamburger steak, duck, and mushroom dishes, as well as Japanese options like yakiniku or sukiyaki.
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