Ant Takayama Sauvignon Blanc
アント 高山村ソーヴィニヨンブラン
Shinshu Takayama Winery
Sauvignon Blanc
About this wine
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.
A clean, approachable introduction to Japanese cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc — bright citrus fruit with none of the harsh grassiness some new-world versions have.
Sommelier's Note
"One of the clearest expressions of Takayama's high-altitude terroir in white form — its precise, lingering acidity shows why this village punches above its weight among Japan's cool-climate sites."
Food Pairings
Excellent with fresh seafood and shellfish, goat cheese, and asparagus. In Japanese cuisine, pairs beautifully with sea bream or flounder sashimi, tempura of spring mountain vegetables (sansai), and dishes seasoned with dashi and a touch of citrus.
When to drink it
Spring and summer lunches, seafood dinners, or as a refreshing aperitif.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Style
- White
- Alcohol
- 12
- Price Range
- ¥3,000-3,500
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Sauvignon Blanc from high-altitude estate plots in Takayama Village. Fermented and held entirely in stainless steel tanks — no oak — to preserve primary fruit aromas and crisp acidity. Alcohol approximately 12%. Produced across multiple vintages (recent releases include 2020-2023).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Ant Takayama Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
- It shows bright lemon, lime, and tropical fruit aromas layered with fresh herbs and lemon peel, carried by a crisp, lingering acidity and a refined, non-vegetal finish.
- What food pairs best with it?
- Fresh seafood and shellfish, goat cheese, and Japanese dishes like sea bream sashimi, sansai tempura, and dashi-seasoned white fish.
- Is it oak-aged?
- No. It is fermented and held entirely in stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity of the fruit and a crisp acidity.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
アント 高山村メルロー
Ant Takayama Merlot
RedMerlot
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%.
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.