"Gourmet News" No.8 "The night deepens in Ikaho"
I don't like resorts. And hot springs too. But I've been making an exception and visiting Ikaho Onsen once a year for almost ten years now. Next year would have been my tenth visit, but last year it was canceled due to COVID-19, and I wondered what would happen this year. The inn was "Hotel Kogure." In fact, the young female proprietress and her husband are wine buddies of mine, and it started as a "wine camp." During a wine party at S Law Office, someone got drunk and suggested staying overnight and drinking wine, so we decided to call Ikaho on the spot. Hearing that the VIP room where the late Prince Mikasa stayed was on the top floor, he threw a tantrum saying that he would only go if it was a VIP room, and although we tried to somehow stop him, his request was easily accepted, and it was realized. The organizer was Lawyer S. The VIP room was also completely renovated last year, and I was looking forward to going there, but it was canceled. This year, it will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays, so the young female proprietress said, "Please come," so we decided to go.
However, it is the time of year and the members are approaching the age where they may become seriously ill, so some people declined. I am the oldest and have a chronic illness, so it is not something that happens to other people, but the deputy organizer and attentive social insurance and labor consultant W- san took us to my house in his car equipped with two plasma cluster air purifiers, and we were able to use the special room next to the VIP room where the young proprietress and her husband usually stay as our bedroom, so we were able to go there safely with thorough infection control measures. In addition, Shimada-san of The Clockroom , the organizer of this "Bishoku Tsuushin", and Maki Tezuka, a representative businessman of Kabukicho, also participated, and the number of people, including the young proprietress and her husband, was just right for tasting one bottle of wine, with a total of eight people. As a result, perhaps because the members have become younger, the eight of us ended up tasting fifteen bottles of wine. This was a pleasant surprise for this party, where people have been drinking less in recent years.
The wine is served in three stages at this event. First, it is a welcome drink or an aperitif. Since the meal starts at 6 p.m. , everyone checks in before then and enjoys the large public bath. Of course, I have never been to the large public bath, and I always relax in my room watching TV or reading. Before the renovation, there was a jacuzzi in the middle of the VIP room, but no one else had ever used it except me, so I had it all to myself. After everyone went to bed, I was the last one left and would go to sleep in the rainbow-lit jacuzzi. Anyway, when everyone returned from the large public bath, we opened the obligatory Lambrusco. The brand was decided, and it was "Vacio" (meaning kiss), with an impressive lip mark on the label produced by soccer player Hidetoshi Nakata. It is a wine from Emilia-Romagna, where Parma is located. It is dark in color and slightly sparkling with a lot of grape fruit flavor. It is low in alcohol, and "Vacio" is on the high side at 11 %. Some of them are in the single digits. They are just like the "vin de soif (thirst-quenching wine)" to drink after a bath. By the way, the importer is ABICO , who also handles the wine section of this "Gourmet News". Thank you for your patronage.
Next, wine is served with the meal, of course. Each group dine in a private room, and the young proprietress and her husband dine with us. This is a prelude to the wine party that will take place in the room. In the room, vintage red wines are generally the main focus. Since it is a feast at a hot spring inn, the ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings vary widely. Therefore, all other types of wine are served with the meal, including younger reds, whites, and champagne. A light wine that goes well with the food is appropriate, but as an exception, the young proprietress and her husband, who are champagne lovers, bring a high-class champagne for the toast every time. This year, it was Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose 2007 , a mouth-watering gem. Thank you as always. Eight bottles have been consumed so far.
Well, the main event of this gathering was the wine party back in the room. As is customary, we brought and opened some vintage Bordeaux. This year, the main wine was the first-class Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2000 , so we chose vintages around that. I first tasted the 2003 Pommard from Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, the 2000 third-class Calon-Segur (Saint-Estephe), and the 1993 Palmer (Margaux), also a third-class. Pommard has a strong tannin flavor among Burgundy wines, so it had a presence that was not inferior to Bordeaux. 2000 was a very good year, so the Mouton was excellent and should last for a long time. It was harsh and harsh when first opened, but it softened over time and the flavor became deeper and more balanced. On the other hand, the Calon - Segur had a clear aroma as soon as I opened it, and I knew right away that it was ready to drink. In fact, the complex flavor of Saint-Estephe, which is somewhat dull and heavy, continued to change until the end. Palmer is an elegant type of wine even in Margaux, and since the average vintage of 1993 is nearly 30 years old, it has already passed its peak and is something to enjoy the sense of maturity, with the acidity becoming somewhat noticeable in the latter half.
For comparison, I also opened some Grand Vins from younger vintages: a 2016 Perrot-Minot Gevrey-Chambertin, a 2011 second-growth Pichon-Lalande (Pauillac), and a 2014 Clarins d'Haut-Brillon (a first-growth second-growth). The Gevrey was still young, and I enjoyed the fruitiness rather than the ripeness. The Pichon seemed to be at its first drinking age, with a good balance of fruitiness and tannins, and since it is originally an elegant type of Pauillac, I felt a supple taste. The Clarins was also well-made and excellent. However, it felt a bit overdressed and artificial. This was evident in the alcohol content of 14.5 %, which is too high for Bordeaux. Although it is from Graves, it is a wine from the Médoc, so I would have expected it to be a little tighter and more tannic, no matter how high the proportion of Merlot.
By comparing and tasting each wine like this, you can learn a lot while having fun. Before we knew it, the eight of us had finished fifteen bottles of wine, starting with the first Lambrusco. Everyone went to bed at their own pace, and I, the last one left this year, went to sleep in the observation bath that was newly installed in the room after the renovation. A sauna was also newly installed in the room, but it was open until noon, and it had long since finished, so I didn't go in. Well, I don't think I would have gone in even if it was open 24 hours a day. I'm glad everyone enjoyed themselves. Next year will be the tenth anniversary, so I'm sure there will be even more amazing wines than this year. Shimada-san, please don't be discouraged by this and continue to support us next year.
This month's recommended wine: "Morey-Saint-Denis, the hidden gem of Nuits"
"Morey-Saint-Denis 2013 Domaine Javet" 6,800 yen (excluding tax) 
In the second wine article, we introduced Pommard, a Burgundy that goes well with game. This time, we will introduce its variations, or rather, the main red wine of Burgundy, Nuits wine. Burgundy is a long region that stretches from the exclave of Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south, and within that region, the area called Côte d'Or (Golden Hill) is the best wine producing region in Burgundy. The northern half of the Côte d'Or is Nuits, which mainly produces red wine, and the southern half is Beaune, which mainly produces white wine. In the previous article, Pommard is a famous red wine producing region in Beaune, which is on par with Volnay, but it is a kind of curveball. The straight one is the red wine of Nuits. The most famous of these is, of course, "Vosne-Romanée", which produces Romanée - Conti. "Gevrey-Chambertin", which produces Chambertin, which Napoleon loved. And literally, "Nuits-Saint-Georges", the origin of the word Nuits. However, hidden in its shadow is actually "Morey-Saint-Denis", which has a great vineyard. There are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges. In contrast, Morey-Saint-Denis has five Grand Cru vineyards, including the monopoly "Clos de Tart". The village wines have a good balance of fruitiness and tannins, and you can feel the straightforward deliciousness of Pinot Noir. The author's basic preference is the cheaper Dujac (négociant products), but this time I would like to introduce Marie-Thérèse Javet, who is based in Morey-Saint-Denis. This domaine owns the monopoly "Clos de la Bideau" to the north of the Grand Cru "Clos des Lambrays". They practice organic farming and are carefully made, and the 2013 vintage is said to be ripe for drinking. This is a rare product because it is not widely available in Japan. Try the village wine first.
For inquiries about the wines featured,
To AVICO Co., Ltd.
Biography
Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
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