Rihaku Omachi Junmai Ginjo Namagenshu

Founded in 1882 in Matsue, Shimane, Rihaku Sake Brewing takes its name from Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701 to 762), whose verse flowed as freely as the sake he reportedly consumed. This Junmai Ginjo features Omachi, often called the Pinot Noir of sake rice: a rare heirloom varietal cultivated since before the 1860s that demands exceptional skill to brew and rewards with extraordinary mineral depth. Bottled as namagenshu, unpasteurized and undiluted, it holds nothing back: blackberry and hazelnut on the nose, a plush palate of blueberry and characteristic iron-mineral complexity from the Omachi, and a clean, nutty finish with a presence that lingers long after the glass is empty.