Tatenokawa

When Sato took over the brewery in 2001, he was faced with a difficult decision; like many breweries, sales were slow with fridges full of unsold stock. Sato-san had to decide whether to end 170 years of sake-making history or to find a way to reinvigorate his brewery. He chose the latter, focusing on quality by drastically cutting the number of products to just one, and reducing production volumes as well.

Tatenokawa now makes only Junmai Daiginjo, the equivalent of a Premier Cru in the sake world. These sakes are made using highly polished rice, and have no spirit added during the production process. The result is pure and delicate sakes with subtle fruity and floral notes and a silk-like texture.

Based in Yamagata, Tatenokawa uses locally grown rice where possible, including the beautiful Dewasansan. The surrounding mountain ranges of Mt Chokkai, Gassan and Yudono provide a never-ending supply of excellent water, vital in the production of high-quality sake.