Shichiken Sparkling Hoshi no Kagayaki

Shichiken Sparkling Hoshi no Kagayaki (七賢 星之輝 スパークリング) is the brewery's flagship sparkling. It is made of Hitogokochi rice grown in Yamanashi and Association yeast 901 and 1801. It was named after the starry skies of Hakushu. The secondary fermentation in the bottle elevates this daiginjō to new heights with an impressive first impact. A straight line of bubbles forms and glitter like stars as notes of pink grapefruit, marshmallows and candy floss float towards the nose. It is dry with a hint of sweetness, followed by a short, crisp finish with a lively mousse stimulating the senses throughout. Round and voluminous with plenty of umami that will accentuate simple aperitifs like liver pate or white fish dishes. Enjoy in a flute.

Award tasting note: "Lemon curd, sour cream, lovely bubbles. Crisp with a juicy sweetness." - Bronze, International Wine Challenge 2020

Awards:

• Gold in Sparkling standard category from Kura Master 2020
• Bronze in the Sparkling category from International Wine Challenge 2020 Sake
• Prize in Sparkling category from International Wine Challenge 2019 Sake
• Platinum in the Sparkling standard category from Kura Master 2019
• Prize in Sparkling category from International Wine Challenge 2017 Sake

Yamanashi Meijō Brewery is in Hakushu-cho, Hokuto City, in Yamanashi Prefecture. Hokuto is famous for its quiet greenery and natural beauty. Rain and snowmelt from Mount Kaikoma (甲斐駒ヶ岳 Kaikoma-ga-take) upstream seep into the ground and are slowly polished over a long period by layers of granite. The resulting subsoil water is soft and transparent. This area has whiskey distilleries, mineral water factories, long-established Japanese confectionery stores, and confectionery manufacturers, all of which enjoy the rich blessings of local nature.

The brewery was founded in 1750 by Kitahara Ibei (北原伊兵衛), a descendant of the Kitahara family who had been brewing sake for generations in Shinshū (modern-day Nagano Prefecture). The name 'Shichiken' (七賢) was given to their sake in 1835 after the Lord of Takato Castle gave the brewery a pair of fanlights entitled "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" as a gift. The backroom of the main building, which the Meiji Emperor used as his temporary lodging during his visit in 1880, has been designated as a national heritage site and is open to the public along with the brewery. In recent years, the brewery has become popular as a tourist spot where visitors can spend a leisurely time, as it operates a restaurant that serves dishes using fermentation technology and a café that uses koji sugar, a sweetener made from rice malt.