Description

Jokigen Junmai Sake Green Label — Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Sakata Shuzo has been brewing sake in Yamagata Prefecture — in the Tohoku region of northern Japan — for generations, drawing on the soft, mineral-pure waters of Sakata and the cold mountain climate that makes Yamagata one of Japan’s most celebrated sake-producing regions. The brewery’s Jokigen label (“good mood” in Japanese) is a fitting name for a sake built around pleasure, generosity, and the kind of fruit-forward character that makes it as welcome at the casual table as at the considered dinner.

The Green Label Junmai is brewed from Hyogo-grown Yamada Nishiki rice — the undisputed king of sake rice — milled to 70% and fermented with Jokigen’s proprietary house yeast. Yamada Nishiki is prized for its large grain size, low protein content, and exceptional ability to develop glossy texture and tropical fruit character during fermentation. At SMV +2, this is technically dry, but the lush, fruity aromatics and medium-full body give it a richness and generosity that belies the numbers. An atypically fruity Junmai — and all the better for it.

Clear and bright in the glass. The nose is vibrant and inviting — fresh toasted grains, lush tropical fruit, and a lift of muscat grape. On the palate it is medium-full bodied with a beautiful glossy texture, flavors of fresh apple, muscat, and ripe stone fruit, and a soft but dry finish that keeps it food-friendly and endlessly sippable. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Brewery: Sakata Shuzo, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Style: Junmai
Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo), milled to 70%
Yeast: Jokigen House Yeast
Water: Sakata Soft Water
Sake Meter Value (SMV): +2 (dry)
Acidity: 1.6
ABV: 15%
Size: 720ml
Tasting Notes: Toasted grains, tropical fruit, fresh apple, muscat grape, glossy texture, soft dry finish
Best Paired With: Grilled fatty salmon, roast chicken, Thai red curry, yakitori, miso-glazed vegetables