Tatenokawa Muga Platinum Bottle Junmai Daiginjō

Tatenokawa Muga Platinum Bottle Junmai Daiginjō (楯野川無我 プラチナボトル 純米大吟醸) is an unfiltered (無濾過 muroka), undiluted (無加水 mukasui), unpasteurised (無加熱 mukanetsu) sake directly from the tank (槽口 funakuchi). Tatenokawa Muga, a series of Tatenokawa's namazake, was created to deliver to customers the presence, atmosphere, aroma and air of the tank mouth, where they can experience the ultimate freshness in its original fresh state: it is bottled on the same day it is pressed. For 2024, the bottle is platinum silver with a bluish tinge and has a calm shine, expressing the refreshing taste that harmonises rice's dignified acidity and flavour.

The first platinum bottle in the series uses 100% Miyamanishiki produced by contract farmers in Shonai. The acidity and rice sweetness harmonise to create a sharp fruitiness. It is light on the palate despite being an unfiltered, unpasteurised sake.

Comment from the brewer

The finished sake is kept at a low temperature and bottled, thereby retaining its freshness, power and slight effervescence of fermentation of the freshly squeezed sake, using equipment that prevents damage during transfer and bottling. This sake uses Miyamanishiki, which has a characteristic acidity and a sharp finish, allowing you to feel its quality directly. It is also the tōji's favourite.

Tatenokawa Brewery is nestled in Sakata, a city in the northwest of Yamagata Prefecture that boasts the region's most crucial port—surrounded by the Sea of Japan and Mount Chokai, the brewery crafts exquisite sake from the finest Shonai rice and pristine spring water. The cityscape is dominated by the verdant rice fields of the Shonai Plain and the Mogami River that flows through it.

The brewery's history dates back to 1832, when Heishiro, the founder, was inspired by a retainer of the Uesugi clan to start making sake with the exceptional local water. In 1854, the Sato family established Tatenokawa Brewery in Sakata and continued the tradition of sake production for 190 years. In October 2021, Tatenokawa Brewery announced its revival of sake made from Sobei Wakasa, an indigenous sake rice variety from Shonai and the ancestor of Kamenoo. In May 2022, Tatenokawa introduced Soryu, a low-alcohol seasonal sake perfect for summer, made from Yamadanishiki, a premium sake rice.