Keigetsu CEL24 Junmai Daiginjo 50
£29.95
The wine
A refreshingly light, modern style. Highly aromatic, with pineapple, melon and guava, a juicy palate and a very enticing off-dry finish with a hint of minerality.
CEL24 is a yeast strain developed in Kōchi prefecture, and it is the reason this tastes so tropical: it produces far more of the esters responsible for pineapple and melon aromas than conventional sake yeasts, and works at lower temperatures. Junmai daiginjo, so no distilled alcohol added and the Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 50%.
The producer
Keigetsu
View all Keigetsu winesKeigetsu is a family owned sake brewery in the mountains of Tosa Reihoku, in Japan's Kōchi Prefecture, making sake since 1877. It is run today by sixth generation head brewer Muneki Matsumoto from the original brewery building, now more than 140 years old. The name evokes the beautiful sight of the moon hanging over the nearby Katsurahama shore.
The sakes are made from organically grown local rice, chiefly Gin no Yume, Yamada Nishiki and the rare table variety Akitsuho. Matsumoto believes his local rice, grown within twelve kilometres of the brewery on terraced paddies at 300 to 600 metres, is perfectly suited to the region. The remote elevation and pure water from the source of the Yoshino River create ideal conditions for premium rice and yuzu alike.
The range is wide and expressive. It runs from the pure, dry Gin no Yume Junmai Daiginjo and the elegant, Kimoto brewed Sake Nature to the crystal clear John Sparkling Sake and the cloudy, tropical Nigori. A savoury Yamahai Junmai adds umami depth, while a vivid yuzu sake, made with hand squeezed Tosa yuzu, offers something quite different.
Precise, characterful and deeply tied to their mountain home, Keigetsu's sakes have earned trophies at the International Wine Challenge and beyond. They reward the curious and pair beautifully with food. This is premium Japanese sake at its very finest.
