It is a simple word, but also an undefinable attribute when ascribed to wine.

The most sought-after wines in the world do not rely on measurable qualities to win the hearts of their admirers; their price bears no direct relation to technical merits. A wine becomes desirable simply when it does this: when it affects you.

Eishi Okamoto instinctively understands this, not because he wants fame or acclaim, but just as a matter of fact. To this man, winegrowing is a channel for his art, and heart. He makes wines with emotion, and in turn makes emotional wines.

A wine made from grapes harvested on this same mountain — at an altitude of 700 metres — captured his imagination over twenty years ago. The wine was an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, more exquisite than anything he had experienced up till then from Yamanashi, or even from Japan, for that matter.

Eishi was a vineyard hand then, a young man who had found his calling to a life bound to the soil. There and then, he was inspired to make his own wine, seeing an improbable hope peering from the glass in front of him, knowing only that he wanted to make his better. He contemplated, and decided that he had to climb higher.

But at 800 metres elevation, on loose volcanic soil frequently plagued by rains, his colleagues told him it would be impossible for any vitis vinifera to ripen properly. Yet this heroic young man persisted, unfazed by imminent adversity and low odds of success.

Vitis vinifera is a strange being. It can grow in many places but for it to become an interesting wine, it needs to be challenged and trained. It calls for a little risk-taking. Marginal location, poor soil, and spontaneous fermentation are some of the not-so-intuitive ingredients to birth a wine of consequence. Eishi’s heart understood these truths.

At this point, one would correctly guess that Eishi would eschew most of the safety nets others would apply in their winemaking process. This is not to say that he was looking for danger, but he had accepted that life as a wine-grower would not be a trouble-free life — and thus, he resolved to raise his vines to overcome their struggles. He wanted to make wines born with real character. And for nearly 20 years now, he has more than succeeded.

Eishi grows Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The vineyards cover 3 hectares of land. Throughout his career he has planted, uprooted and replaced vines in seeking out which variety works best on different plots. His vineyards are not contiguous and he adjusts his planting choices depending on topographic features. He has moved away from the high-density planting favoured by the French because Japanese summers bring high humidity, and tight vine spaces trap moisture which makes the vines susceptible to diseases. To create greater biodiversity and sustainability, he also farms apples and chestnuts.

Eishi Okamoto, like his vines, is a quiet overcomer and a resolute fighter. He has lost harvests, swallowed criticisms for his “unusual” wines and still produces every single bottle by hand today, unwilling to go beyond his current size to gain a more reasonable income.

Modest and contemplative, Eishi is an organic thinker and in no other personality that we know, do we see the true meaning of a steward of the land with such straightforward clarity. He has an air of tranquility about him. He always speaks succinctly, but warms up quickly to topics he feels deeply for: wine and music. He is a gentle soul, and that is exactly how his wines express themselves: delicate, soft, translucent yet lucid in aromatics, flavour and texture.

Beau Paysage, meaning “beautiful landscape”, has been around for almost two decades now. The winery’s reputation is unsurpassed in Japan and its fame has even reached other parts of the world despite not being exported. Eishi releases just about 10,000 bottles a year that automatically sell out prior to release as they are offered to only a select group of clientele. His wines are impossible to find in retail stores as they are all pre-allocated to the best natural wine bars and restaurants in Japan.

When Eishi tastes his wines, one can see how appreciative he is of them — products born out of adversity, as true and tranquil as nature has intended. You can see that he is grateful for what little he can produce. You can feel: emotion.

We are moved by his wines at each rare opportunity we get to taste them. Beau Paysage wines exude the personality of their maker and the life force of their environment. With the passing of the years, our fascination has only intensified. The wines are ever so beautiful and serene. They are endlessly and inexplicably alluring.

Our relationship with Eishi has also deepened over time. In the same way as when we had the special “hunch” about his wines and decided to take a punt to pay him a visit, we are eternally grateful that he reciprocated by entrusting us with his first export distribution.

A growing season like that of the 2018 vintage had sufficient variations in weather patterns for Eishi to craft a different take on some of his mainstay cuvées. This allocation marks the first appearance of the Trance series of wines for two cuvées, La Montagne (merlot) and Le Bois (cabernet franc). Eishi explained that there was a significant change in the climate during the last month prior to harvest, and these two varieties responded differently enough in specific sub-plots that these expressions merited their own bottlings.

If you are interested in receiving an allocation, please state the quantities of the wines you desire by replying to us by the close of business on 18 September 2020. We will notify you of the final allocation within three working days after this date, after which the final acceptance of allocation will have to be paid in full strictly per the timeline stated below.

Please read the Allocation Process as well as Terms and Conditions sections below carefully or enquire with us should you need further clarification.

The wines will leave the winery in October, and will travel here in a temperature-controlled container. We anticipate that they will reach our shores in November, subject to the shipper’s final schedule.