Norman

9.0

Kaze no Mori Tsuyuhakaze 507 (風の森 露葉風 507), a seasonal sake from Yucho Shuzo in Nara Prefecture.

Key points:
• Brand / Series: Kaze no Mori (“Wind of the Forest”) is known for ultra-fresh, lightly sparkling sake bottled immediately after pressing.
• Rice: Tsuyuhakaze (露葉風) is a Nara-only heirloom sake rice.
• Polish ratio: The number 507 means a 50 % polishing ratio with yeast No. 7.
• Style: Typically Junmai Daiginjo-grade in polish, but brewed in their unpasteurized, naturally effervescent house style.
This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. — 19 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A decently made 22 Cabernet. To be fair, it was a hard follow after the Memento Mori.

Drinks reasonable well now but I would drink it no later than 2032.

WS Grand Tour Las Vegas 2025. — 5 months ago

Jonas Hartz

9.1

Sparkling by chance — 2 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.0

Perfect pairing with roasted chestnut
Vibrant fruit driven wine with a whiff of Co2 residual. 5% Nosiola fermented with the syrah.
Young vines. No So2 at any stage added.
I can't emphasize more how perfect this was with roasted chestnuts — 5 years ago

Norman

9.0

This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. — 19 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

Takahiko Soga Yoichi Nobori 2015

Domaine Takahiko has two main product lines:
- Nana-tsu-mori: Made from estate-grown Pinot Noir.
- Yoichi-Nobori: Sourced from purchased grapes, usually blends.

This Passetoutgrain is a Pinot Noir and Gamay blend (they also have another cuvée, Ô Lie- a Pinot Noir and Zweigelt blend—which I haven’t tried yet).

My Experience with Nana-tsu-mori
I’ve tried two vintages, both underwhelming:
- 2021: Opened with a distinct animalic/funky note(like barnyard), not the cleanest, but the flavors were interesting—red fruit and a chilly, austere vibe.
- 2018(bought in Japan): Watery and collapsed, with no structure. No idea what went wrong.

Yoichi-Nobori 2015 – A Better Experience
- Aromas: Fragrant at opening, though the bouquet faded after ~2 hours.
- Appearance: Classic natural wine hue, similar to Domaine Prieuré Roch.
- Palate:
- No wateriness(a big plus!).
- Rich fruit, well-structured and layered-like sour plum soup with a hint of licorice and mint.
- A touch of greenness, followed by umami on the finish.
- Acidity:Moderate, well-integrated.

Final Thoughts
This domaine’s wines are hit-or-miss, wildly inconsistent. Given their secondary market prices(which rival grand cru Burgundy), they’re only worth buying at allocation prices. — 3 months ago

Amy

9.1

bright, no oak. first chardonnay i loved, $48 vintners collective in napa — 2 years ago

Norman

9.0

Kaze no Mori (“Wind in the Forest”)
• Brewery: Yucho Shuzo, Nara
• Style: Nama (unpasteurized), often Junmai or Junmai Ginjo
• Profile: Kaze no Mori is famous for being zippy, effervescent, and youthful. Expect a lightly sparkling sensation (微発泡), juicy fruit (pear, muscat grape), and bright acidity. Always unpasteurized, so it shows a raw, lively character. Was pretty sweet for me but a nice sake. — a month ago

Steve Rura

9.3

Stunningly good and a bit underrated on this app. I snagged 3 bottles from MCF Rare Wine since this will no longer be distributed in NYC :( Very Chianti Classico and very rich on the nose. Dark fruits transition to bright, juicy, ripe cherry. Minerals and dried herbs on a veeerrry long finish. Really delicious and an honest, no fuss expression of Sangiovese. 14% abv, organic. I’ll have to resist opening the last 2 bottles. — 4 months ago

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Auction buy.

Initial opening - this wine is shut down. No fruit. Very dense and flavors of tobacco, forest floor and dirt.

Some airtime and oxygen really helped this wine. I think it needed at least 2 hours. Then the fruit emerged a bit and the wine softened up to provide a lot more nuanced flavor. — 6 months ago