Norman

9.1

Name: 風の森 WEEKS 2025 (Kaze no Mori Weeks 2025)
• Rice: Aiyama (愛山) 100%
• Polish ratio: 60%
• ABV: 14%
• Sake type: Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu (純米 無濾過無加水生酒)
• Junmai = pure rice (no added alcohol)
• Muroka = unfiltered
• Nama = unpasteurized
• Genshu = undiluted (though note: 14% ABV suggests a lower-ferment genshu or partial dilution)
• Brew year (BY): 2025BY (brewed August 2025)
• Brewery: 油長酒造株式会社 (Yucho Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
• Location: Gose City, Nara Prefecture (奈良県御所市)
Ok brought this one back from Japan so it’s fresh and a limited release as noted above. It’s got some effervescence which I’m not a huge fan of but seeing in a lot of these fresh ones from Japan. Have not sat long enough to absorb back in. If you have not used ChatGPT with sake you should. It’s really good in answering questions. So this has the typical sake flavor, an effervescence but also a weird yogurt tang which evidently is on purpose since this is unpasteurized. The carbonation kills the creaminess you associate with sour cream and yogurt. From ChatGPT - That “yogurt tang but not creamy” description is dead on for fresh Aiyama-based nama. What’s happening chemically is a short-chain lactic ester (mainly ethyl lactate) blending with residual malic acid from the yeast, plus the carbonic lift. The effervescence doesn’t just tingle — it changes how your tongue perceives acidity, pushing that faint yogurt note forward while stripping away the creaminess you’d feel in a heavier sake. So instead of the rounded nama-zake lactic feel, you get something sharper — like unsweetened kefir water or sparkling Calpis.

That’s part of what Kaze no Mori aims for with their Weeks bottlings — letting you taste the micro-volatility of live sake mid-fermentation, before pasteurization smooths it out. It’s not a flaw; it’s an intentional snapshot of the fermentation in motion.

If you swirl it gently and let it sit 10–15 minutes, you’ll notice the carbonation dissipate and that tang retreat into the background, revealing more of Aiyama’s core character — ripe pear, steamed rice sweetness, and faint white flower. But if you like that “what is that?” moment — slightly wild, slightly sparkling, tang balanced by fruit — it’s best drunk exactly as you’re having it now. Cold (right out of the fridge, say 5–8°C) locks in the CO₂ and accentuates that “live” edge — the effervescence plus that lactic-malic twang that feels more like tangy minerality than cream. At that temp, Aiyama’s natural softness is suppressed, so what comes through is this precise, slightly electric sensation — like pear skin + Greek yogurt + soda water. If you let it rise toward 12–14°C, the CO₂ eases, sweetness unfolds, and the tang will start to blur into a gentler rice-fruit tone.

Because this bottle is both muroka (unfiltered) and nama (unpasteurized), it’s carrying a small live microflora load — you’re literally tasting that tension between residual yeast enzymes and trapped gas. It’s why the first sip is so vivid and almost curious — not quite sour, not quite sweet, but alive. — 9 days ago

Laith A

9.4

Had to blow off a transient ester note when first opened but then this wine was hitting on all cylinders with ripeness, sweetness and dried fruit as would be expected from a great vintage Sauternes — 5 years ago

romo

9.1

En magnum. Sweet cherry 🍒 and soil. — 2 months ago

Edo Wachters

9.5

La Vinya del Vuit (Vuit is 8 in Spanish) is a project of 8 Priorat producers started many years ago and still woking together closely to produce an excellent Priorat based on mutual efforts. The 8 comprise amongst others Sara Pérez (Mas Martinet, Venus Universal), René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Ester Nin (Nit de Nin) and 5 other producers from Gratallops. The wine label changes with each vintage, and always takes a shape in some form of an 8. The wine comes from one vineyard shared by the 8 friends, called Coll de Falset, near Gratallops. The vineyard produces very low yields (between 8 and 10 vines are needed for each bottle of wine) and as a result a very concentrated wine, mostly made with Carinyena, although there are many Garnatxa grapes in the vineyard. Only 800 bottles were produced of the 2012 wine. The result is a remarkable Priorat, very concentrated, lots of dark red fruit, very balanced, with some earthiness and minerality. Fantastic! — a year ago

Aaron Tan

9.2

I'm always so impressed with the saké scene in Malaysia. This is a bottle that I'd be hard-pressed to find listed in any Australian restaurant, and if any at all, none for a fair price I bet. Clearly great things are happening behind the scenes here, with Kuheiji's Eau Du Désir popping up on the shelves of my local grocery (I don't exactly live in the epicenter of Malaysia).

Straight out of the bottle, you get the impression that Kuheiji has just bottled a fresh unadulterated ferment. That tingly sensation of CO2 on the nose, before it gets hit by ester-heavy ferment aromas, with the light spritz on the palate, and zestiness in the finish - gosh, it really feels like a ferment. It's just so fresh and lively, as it should be with each vintage of the Eau Du Désir. Air brings more clarity to the flavors of juicy melons, apples, and interestingly, guava. There's a sweet almost malty-core here, which is balanced out by the crisp slightly-bitter finish. So easy to drink! — 4 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.2

Grassy, spicy, cane. Outrageous nose, green banana 🍌 nose. High ester. — 5 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Quite light ruby with wide light garnet rim . Quite restrained herbal tinged wild strawberry , floral touches with notes of woodsmoke and liquorice , spiced cherry . Very elegant and refined . On the palate this retains the refined and elegant style with ripe strawberry , raspberry and light dried herbs. Fresh acidity and very refined tannins , mineral, slate undertow . Very young still , really primary but with so much delicacy, long sweet fresh spiced red fruit finish . Surprisingly drinkable now , but undoubtably will age well over the next 15 years or so . — 4 months ago

Chris Palmer

9.3

Had with Rupe and Sue Hauser - it is their “standby” — 2 years ago

Myorei

9.0

So tasty. Reminds me of the grape flavoured sweets. Had it at Ester. — 3 years ago

Dick Schinkel

9.5

Only 838 Bottles, this is bottle 550!
Again a great wine from Ester Nin, lovely nose with exotic fruits, peach, pear, fresh lemon, honey, full bodied on the palate, creamy stucture, Fantastic layers of fruit flavors, almonds, fine mineral notes, wonderful acidity with a long fresh aftertaste! 95 DSP — 5 years ago