Domaine Takahiko Passetoutgrain Yoichi Nobori 2023

Takahiko Soga is the most sought-after winemaker in Japan, full stop. He founded his domaine in 2010 on the volcanic, sea-influenced soils of Yoichi, Hokkaido, after a pilgrimage to Pierre Overnoy in the Jura convinced him that Pinot Noir could find a home at the northern edge of his country. Today his wines are sold by lottery and his Nana-Tsu-Mori Pinot was the first Japanese wine ever poured at Noma. This Yoichi-Nobori Passetoutgrain is a co-planted field blend, mostly Pinot Noir with a touch of Zweigelt, made in the spirit of Burgundy's humble Passetoutgrains but with a Japanese sense of umami: dashi, forest floor, miso. A cult bottle in every meaningful sense.