“It may seem obvious, but we believe that only grapes with high potential can produce truly great wines. If you can grow grapes with high potential that match the environment and reflect the climate, you can make a great wine that will resonate with the heart without adding anything (sugar, acid, yeast or other additives). We believe that the shortcut to producing wines with high potential is to choose varieties that match the environment, to be particular about cultivation, and to pass the baton to the cellar. In order for the cellar to benefit from the natural environment, including microorganisms, the winery is located next to the vineyards. We make wine in the same environment from cultivation to winemaking.”

Domaine Hase was established in 2017 following his first career in publicity for a major record label (hence the music note on Domaine Hase’s logo). Inspired by a tasting at Villa d’Est in 2012, Hase-san began traveling to Nagano on weekends to study wine with Mr. Tomamura. He and his wife moved to Tomi in 2014 and a year later he was accepted to Arc-en-Vigne’s inaugural class. Lectures from Domaine Oyamada (Yamanashi) and Norakura (Hokkaido) led him to the natural farming ethos that now shapes his domaine’s style. Wishing to work with Alsacian varietals, Hase-san sought an affordable high elevation plot and found it in the upper reaches of Takayama-mura, an area called Fukuihara which directly abuts the forest. The elevation is ~800-850m with East and Northwest facing plots framed by two streams that run down the massive mountain. If you keep driving uphill, you’ll reach the summit of Mt. Shirane (7000 ft) in only 45 minutes. Unsurprisingly, vineyard soil is volcanic ash (andosols) with a surface deposit of approximately 70-80 cm of pitch-black humus, formed from plant and animal remains decomposed by microorganisms over tens of thousands of years.

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Fukuihara Rose (Claret) MV

Although GI laws prohibit the term’s use, this wine is best understood as a clairet, a light red. The base wine is from 2024 and as it was a very hot, dry Summer Hase-san blended ripe Muscat Bailey A and Zweigelt from his own vineyard s with Chardonnay grown by his neighbor Yoshizawa, along with a small quantity of 2022/2023 Chardonnnay (M.V. stands for “multi-vintage”).

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Fukuihara Rouge pfZ 2023

Originally these grapes were going to be used for two wines: the pinot-dominant “Pinot Fan rouge” and Muscat Bailey A-dominant “Fukuihara rouge Z.” However, given the unusually warm year and dry October Muscat Bailey A achieved unprecedented ripeness, and the cuvees were combined into one wine. Hase label led this wine a “private reserve” to designate the special vintage.

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Fukuihara Blanc 2023

In hot vintages there’s a concern that acidity will drop precipitously in the ripening grapes, leading to soft and uninteresting wines. Wanting a fresh and balanced wine, Hase elected to harvest the Chardonnay twice, early and late, and the Germanic varietals 2 weeks earlier than usual. Of this, 85% of the cuvee is 2023 and 15% is 2022. As always, Hase seeks a balance of lightness and depth.

Varieties planted:

Chardonnay (95, 277, 548, )
Pinot Noir (MV6, 115, 777)
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Muscat Bailey A (Yamagata,
Nagano, & Yamanashi
selections)
Shokoshi
Zweigelt
Savagnin
Five types of rootstock are used according to soil and variety, focusing on Riparia Gloire. 20% of the vines are own-rooted.

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Hikaru Farm Rose de Clair

“In 2023, due to the record heat wave from July to September and almost no rain, the grapes were harvested at a degree of unusual ripeness. The red varieties in particular were well-rounded, resulting in a wine with a good balance of s ugar and acidity (21-22 brix). By blending the 2022 Chardonnay into this, which was itself fermented from sun-dried grapes, the overall thickness and complexity of the wine is enriched.”

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Hikaru Farm Blanc Late Harvest 2023

The Hikaru Farm series originates in Hase-san’s very first wine, which was vinified at Arc-en-Vigne and embodied their whole selves. Today this series is released irregularly, has an experimental element, and is ever-changing, so it can be said to be “once in a lifetime” wines that reflect the evolving landscape of Fukuihara. The extreme heat delayed ripening and harvest by over 2 weeks, leading to high-acid but ultra-ripe grapes (25-27 brix) and low yields which were fermented slowly to create a singular white wine.

Domaine Hase

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