• Prefecture: Yamagata

• Rice & polishing: Omachi, polished to 80%

• Style: Junmai

• Food pairings: Grilled unagi, teriyaki chicken, char siew, mushroom dishes

• Taste: Rich, fresh, rounded, smooth

• Alc.: 15%

Brewed with Omachi rice from Okayama Prefecture, one of Japan's oldest and most celebrated sake rice varieties, Cho-Ura Gasanryu Urakaze combines richness with remarkable freshness. The palate opens soft and full-bodied, showing the generous, rounded umami typical of Omachi, while an elegant fruity aroma and a lively, ginjo-like freshness keep it light. Smooth and well balanced, it has depth without heaviness and suits a wide variety of dishes. Serve chilled.

About the brewery

Shindo Shuzo has brewed sake in the Yonezawa basin of Yamagata since 1870, working largely with Yamagata-grown rice cultivated by its own seasonal brewers. Rather than settle on one house style, it treats its labels as separate creative outlets, from the traditional Kurozaemon line to the more experimental Gasanryu. That willingness to break from convention has made Gasanryu a favourite with drinkers looking for sake with a distinctive character.