Full-bodied red wine, 750ml, alc 13.9%, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, synthetic cork (wax seal), sulfites added, no chaptalization, approx. 280 bottles produced. This is a red wine primarily made from Merlot from Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, from the great vintage of 2023. We were fortunate to secure some extraordinary Merlot with a sugar content close to 26 degrees. This is a special cuvée using only the darkest grapes from the Rouge 2023 that we released last year. It's a full-bodied red wine with a dark hue, rarely seen in Japanese Merlot. I generally believe that long-term barrel aging is not suitable for Japanese grapes, so I usually release wines after a maximum of one year. However, this wine was so rich it transcended the typical boundaries of Japanese wine, so I aged it thoroughly in French oak for 22 months. Blackberry, cranberry, coffee, vanilla, crème brûlée, herbs. It has a volume reminiscent of American wines, a cool atmosphere, and a superb balance with the freshness of Japanese wine. Enjoy it on its own with nuts or cheese. While it feels like it doesn't need much in terms of food pairing, I highly recommend aging it and pairing it with French cuisine.