Wakayama prefecture is located in the southwestern part of the large Kii peninsula, which is part of Japan’s main island, Honshū, and is known for it’s mild climate, beautiful scenery and famous hot springs. Facing the Pacific Ocean, Wakayama’s 600km coastline has rows of precipitous cliffs which have attracted people since ancient times as sacred sights, including Mount Koya-san the 1,200-year-old sacred ground for Buddhism in Japan and the ancient pilgrimage route Kumano Kodo. Also making up Wakayama Prefecture are approximately 130 islands of varying size which stud the sea around the main part of the prefecture. As Sake breweries tend to be situated in colder areas of Japan there is a limited amount of Sake breweries in the Wakayama Prefecture because of it’s year round mildness, with only 23 active breweries currently registered in the prefecture. Wakayama does however have a long history in other forms of fermentation such as shoyu [soy sauce], with the town of Yuasa, south of Wakayama City being famous for being the birth place of soy sauce over 800 years ago.
Most of the sake breweries in Wakayama can be found on the western coast of the prefecture in Wakayama City or along the Kinokawa River or, as in the case of Nakano BC, Kainan City. Nakano BC is a relatively recent brewery established in 1961, so even though in Australia we would consider 50 years to be a significant history, in Japan it is considered a ‘newcomer’ because of the fact that many breweries have been brewing for hundreds of years. Nakano BC is a comparatively larger brewery because they also produce their well-known mirin [rice ‘wine’], shochu [distilled spirit] and a wide variety of umeshu [fruit liqueur]. Often the sake produced by Nakano BC are very unique as can be seen by the two examples we have been able to source.
Nakano BC ‘Chōkyū’ 1999
Style: Junmai Kijōshu Koshu
Serve: Chilled
Kijōshu means ‘Noble-Brew Sake’. Generally aged before being sold [in this case Chōkyū is a 13 year old Koshu], this type of Sake often has a range of flavours similar to sherry. There are some similarities in production technique to that of port wine, although the Kijōshu technique has a much longer history. To make Kijōshu, the Tōji brings the ferment to an early halt by adding a full-bodied Sake from a previous year into the still fermenting batch.
Chōkyū has a rich toffee colour, and highly aromatic nose of bitter chocolate, caramel and dried porcini mushroom. Delicious burnt toffee flavour with a savoury walnut and sesame finish. A fascinating combination of sweet and savoury elements in this richly flavoured Sake.
The palate is reminiscent of oloroso sherry. with its deep, rich flavours and is a great match for rich meat dishes, consommes or with rich desserts.
Bottle Size: 300ml
Junmai = Pure Rice Sake
Ginjō = Rice polished down to 60%
or less of its original size
Muroka = No Charcoal Filtration
Nama = Unpastuerised
Genshu = Undiluted
Rice type [Kojimai]: Yamada Nishiki
Rice type [Kakemai]: Omachi
Rice polishing: 55%
Alcohol: 18%
Yeast Strain: #9
*Kojimai is the moto-starter rice
*Kakemai is the fermentation tank rice
Junmai = Pure Rice Sake
Kijōshu = Noble Brew
Koshu = Aged
Rice type: Only known by the Tōji [Master Brewer]
who made this Sake many years ago
Rice polishing: 70%
Alcohol: 16.5%
Acidity: 2.6
Yeast Strain: Only known by the Tōji
Nakano BC ‘Chōchōkyū’ 2009
Style: Junmai Ginjō Muroka Nama Genshu
Serve: Chilled
A pungent ricey nose of Yuzu and aniseed. The palate has a rich umami character that gives this sake a sweet, creamy texture with blanched almond, candied pinapple and orange blossom palate with a rich smooth finish.
Bottle Size: 720ml
At the 2011 Ultimate Dinner at Rockpool, Sydney; chef Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck – Bray, England recreated his famous ‘Sound of the Sea’ dish which is “based around the taste, aroma, and overall experience of the seaside”. The Chōchōkyū was the Sake matched with the dish for the dinner.
‘Sound of the Sea’ - Green abalone, razor & Venus clams dressed with a ponzu sauce with fresh yuzu & sudachi citrus juice, soy sauce, roasted konbu and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). 3 types of seaweed, baby anchovies, lily root and samphire. Edible ‘sand’ made from tapioca maltodextrin, powdered konbu and miso oil. Foamy ‘waves’ made from a konbu and wakame stock infused with clams and oyster juice.
