About Shizuku Barrel-Aged (Marine Rouge)
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Yamabudo
- Price Range
- ¥4,000
- tax included, 750ml, reference retail price
- Alcohol
- 12%
Shizuku Barrel-Aged — also labeled 'Marine Rouge (Barrel-Aged)' — is Suzumi-no-oka Winery's premium oak-matured expression of its flagship Shizuku red. Made from the same 100% Noda Village-grown wild mountain grapes (yamabudo, Kuzumaki and other indigenous varieties) picked at over 18% sugar content, it undergoes the same three-plus-week skin-contact maceration and one-month secondary fermentation as the standard Shizuku, but is then aged for eight to nine months in oak barrels (a blend of one new barrel to two seasoned ones) inside the tunnels of the winery's adjacent former manganese mine. The result is a deep purple wine with blackberry and cherry fruit layered over notes of forest floor and toasted wood, its naturally sharp yamabudo acidity softened and rounded by the oak.
The most refined member of the Shizuku family — where the standard red channels yamabudo's wild energy raw, this barrel-aged version tames it into something layered and contemplative, without losing the variety's untamed core.
New to wine?
A step up from the standard Shizuku — the oak aging tames the wild acidity, making it a gentler introduction to yamabudo wine for those who find the plain red too sharp.
Food Pairings
Its structured tannins and mellowed acidity call for lean, high-quality red meat rather than fatty cuts — Iwate's tankaku (short-horn) beef grilled simply, venison, or slow-braised root vegetables in miso or soy all bring out its wood and forest notes.
When to drink it
Special dinners, gifting, and pairings with grilled red meat or slow-cooked game dishes.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Noda Village yamabudo (Kuzumaki and native varieties), harvested at 18%+ sugar content. Fermented on the skins for 3+ weeks, pressed, then secondary-fermented for 1 month before being barreled (new:seasoned oak ratio 1:2) and aged 8-9 months in the 8-12°C, 80%-humidity tunnels of the winery's adjacent former manganese mine. ABV 12%.
About the producer
Suzumi-no-oka WineryWild mountain-grape wine aged in an old mine tunnel野田村, 岩手県 · Founded 2016Visit the producer page →More wines from Suzumi-no-oka Winery
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between Shizuku Barrel-Aged and the standard Shizuku red?
- Both are made from the same 100% Noda Village yamabudo grapes with identical maceration and secondary fermentation, but the Barrel-Aged version is additionally matured for 8-9 months in oak barrels inside a former manganese mine tunnel, giving it a rounder, more complex profile and a slightly higher ABV (12% vs 11.5%) than the un-aged Shizuku.
- Why is it also called 'Marine Rouge'?
- Marine Rouge is Suzumi-no-oka Winery's broader brand name for its Shizuku mountain-grape wines; the barrel-aged red is sold under the fuller name 'Shizuku – Marine Rouge (Barrel-Aged)'.
- What does Shizuku Barrel-Aged taste like?
- Expect a deep purple wine with blackberry and cherry fruit layered over forest-floor and toasted-oak notes, with yamabudo's naturally sharp acidity softened into a smooth, structured finish.
- What food pairs well with it?
- Lean, high-quality red meat such as Iwate's tankaku (short-horn) beef, venison, or richly simmered root vegetables in miso or soy work best — fatty cuts can overwhelm its bright acidity.
Want to know more about this wine?
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