World-famous chef, Alain Ducasse has partnered with Japanese saké brewery Shichiken in Yamanashi to create a sparkling saké to complement his cuisine.
Located at the northern tip of Yamanashi region, the Shichiken saké brewery, surrounded by Mount Fuji and the spine of the Southern Alps, uses water from Hakushu and employs traditional saké brewing technique to create the base of the Alain Ducasse sparkline sake.
Aged in sakura barrels, which imparts a hint of sweetness and structure to the liquor, the sake is finished off with secondary, bottle fermentation.
In a press release the brand states that the tasting note suggests the sparkling saké is fruit-forward, with hints of bitter and sweet notes derived from the barrel. Overall the saké is gentle and goes along well with Ducasse’s dishes.
The bubbles are fine and dynamic, but the texture of the drink is smooth and silky. Overall, the saké is smooth and highly complex.
Alain Ducasse and Gerard Marjon, executive chef sommelier of Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athens
Gerard Marjon, executive chef sommelier of Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athens, spoke about the sparkling saké in a video shown at the product launch event in Japan on 22 March.
He said the saké showcases three flavour layers upon nosing: first it begins with a hint of white floral scent such as lily, followed by complex white fruit flavour and at the end there are intense and rich base notes with touches of cardamom and chilli pepper.
Shichiken released the first bottle of sparkling sake with secondary fermentation in the bottle in 2015, and are commonly praised as one of the pioneers to produce sparkling saké,
Just last year, the second bottle of Shichiken sparkling offering matured in Hakushu whisky cask, “Morino Kanade,” shone in the sparkling sake category from the French saké competition Kura Master.
This is not the first excursion of Ducasse into a saké project. In 2010, he worked with Nakamura Brewery Company, a brewer in Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture with over 180 years of history, to produce the Nichiei Alain Ducasse Selection.
The sparkling saké will officially be released in the Japanese market on 29 April. Priced at JPY5,000. For more information, head over to the official website.
