Nabeshima Yamada Nishiki 2024

This Nabeshima Junmai Ginjo is made using Yamada Nishiki rice, often given the moniker ‘King of Sake Rice’. The majority of Junmai Ginjo sake are made using this rice strain as it helps produce a fragrant sake with a soft rounded flavour. Yamada Nishiki rice reliably produces a rice grain that has a consistent size and texture with a dense white core and a low protein content, however it can also be difficult to grow so Fukuchiyo Shuzo has sourced the rice for this sake from Toyama which is one of the areas that grows exceptional Yamada Nishiki rice. The Nabeshima is also Nama-cho which means that unlike conventional pasteurised sake which is heat treated twice, this sake has been stored unpasteurised until bottling where it is then heat treated once. This is done to retain some of the fresh, lively palate of Nama [unpasteurised] Sake whilst gaining some roundness and depth during the ageing period after pasteurisation. Delicate floral, pear and fennel aroma with a delicate honeydew melon palate that starts sweet and finishes with a gently spice laden, dry finish.