# Beau Paysage Tsugane La Montagne (2023)

- **Producer:** Beau Paysage
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Merlot
- **Region:** Yamanashi, Japan
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €120
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, strawberry, violet, black pepper, herbaceous, cedar, butter, forest floor, wet leaves, leather, mushroom

## About this wine

Beau Paysage, founded by Haruyuki Okamoto in 1999 in the Tsugane area of Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, is one of Japan's most iconic and revered cult natural wineries. Okamoto-san is a pioneer of biodynamic farming in Japan, working on high-altitude granitic soils around 800 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Southern Alps. 'La Montagne' (The Mountain) is his flagship Merlot, crafted to express the unique, delicate, and pure terroir of Tsugane rather than mimicking heavy, traditional European styles.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Haruyuki Okamoto is a legendary figure in Japan's natural wine movement, inspiring a generation of low-intervention growers.
- The vineyards sit at an elevation of approximately 800 meters, benefiting from cool alpine nights and intense mountain sunlight.
- La Montagne is so highly allocated in Japan that it is virtually impossible to buy retail, mostly found only in select Tokyo wine bars.

## Food pairing

The elegant acidity, soft tannins, and savory umami profile of this cool-climate natural Merlot make it exceptionally versatile. It pairs beautifully with dishes that bridge sweet-savory profiles, particularly Japanese cuisine utilizing soy sauce, miso, or wild mushrooms, as well as lean, roasted meats.

## Wine making process

The grapes are farmed biodynamically without chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides. In the cellar, winemaking is strictly low-intervention. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts in old oak barrels. The wine is bottled without fining, filtration, or any added sulfur dioxide (SO2), preserving the raw, vibrant energy of the fruit and the high-altitude terroir.