About this wine
Ant Takayama Merlot is a single-varietal, 100% Merlot red from Shinshu Takayama Winery's estate vineyards in Takayama Village, Nagano Prefecture. "Ant" is a word in the local Shinshu dialect meaning "thank you," chosen to express gratitude toward the village and the 13 grape-growing families behind the winery. Unlike many red wines, it is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks — no oak — for roughly seven months, preserving a fresh, unadorned expression of the fruit. The nose shows bright red berry, cherry, and cassis notes lifted by nutmeg and green pepper spice; the palate is soft and fruit-forward, with gentle tannins, delicate acidity, and a clean, easy-drinking finish. Alcohol is a moderate ~12.5%.
A gentle, fruit-forward, unoaked red with soft tannins — an easy and approachable way into Japanese Merlot.
Sommelier's Note
"This unoaked, single-varietal Merlot shows that Takayama Village's cool mountain terroir can deliver clean, precise reds without leaning on oak — a benchmark bottle for understanding Japan's cool-climate Merlot."
Food Pairings
Its clean, low-tannin, unoaked profile makes it unusually food-friendly for a red. Pairs well with grilled or teriyaki chicken, mushroom rice, tofu and vegetable simmered dishes, and Western roasted meats or game with fruit sauces.
When to drink it
Casual weeknight dinners, izakaya-style gatherings, and everyday drinking with varied dishes.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Price Range
- ¥2,600-3,000
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Merlot, hand-harvested from Shinshu Takayama Winery's estate vineyards in Takayama Village. Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks (no oak) for approximately seven months to retain fresh fruit character. Alcohol ~12.5%. Medium-bodied.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Ant Takayama Merlot taste like?
- Bright red berry, cherry, and cassis aromas with nutmeg and green pepper spice, soft fruit, gentle tannins, and a clean, easy finish.
- Is this wine aged in oak barrels?
- No. It is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks for about seven months, which keeps the fruit fresh and unoaked.
- What food pairs well with it?
- Its clean, low-tannin profile pairs with a wide range of dishes — from teriyaki chicken and mushroom rice to Western roasted meats with fruit sauces.
- What does the name "Ant" mean?
- "Ant" is a word in the local Shinshu dialect meaning "thank you," reflecting the winery's gratitude toward Takayama Village and its 13 founding grape-growing families.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
アント 高山村ソーヴィニヨンブラン
Ant Takayama Sauvignon Blanc
WhiteSauvignon Blanc
Ant Takayama Sauvignon Blanc is a 100% single-varietal white from Shinshu Takayama Winery's estate vineyards in Takayama Village, Nagano Prefecture. "Ant" is a word in the local Shinshu dialect meaning "thank you," chosen to express gratitude toward the village and the 13 grape-growing families behind the winery. Grapes from the village's higher-altitude plots, shaped by a wide diurnal temperature swing, give the wine a cool, aromatic lift of lemon, lime, and tropical fruit layered with fresh herbs and lemon peel. Fermented in stainless steel with no oak, it shows a crisp, lingering acidity and a refined, non-vegetal finish rather than the sharper grassiness typical of the variety.
ヴァラエタルシリーズ シャルドネ
Varietal Series Chardonnay
WhiteChardonnay
Varietal Series Chardonnay is Shinshu Takayama Winery's single-varietal flagship white, made entirely from Chardonnay grown in Takayama Village, Nagano, at 630-830m elevation where a wide diurnal temperature range preserves bright acidity. Part of the harvest is fermented and aged in French oak barrels for richness and vanilla-tinged complexity, while the rest is vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel to retain fresh yellow-fruit aromatics; the two lots are then assembled into a single wine. The nose shows lemon, hassaku citrus, and Shinano Gold apple layered with oak-derived vanilla, while the palate is dry and full-bodied, with concentrated fruit, taut acidity, and a saline mineral edge. The 2022 vintage won a Gold Medal at the Vinalies Internationales, the prestigious French international wine competition organized by the Union des Œnologues de France, cementing the cuvée's status as one of the benchmark Japanese Chardonnays.