NV Takachiyo 59 Chapter 2 Aiyama Junmai Ginjo Nama Niigata 500 ml

One sip of the Takachiyo 59 Chapter 2 Miyamanishiki is a revelation.

Wine Access's Eduardo Dingler first came across Takachiyo three years ago at Niigata Sake No Jin, the world's largest sake festival. The event included a ton of breweries, but he immediately noticed the long lines gathered around the Takachiyo booth.

He asked his friend Katsu about them, and he told Eduardo that they’re considered rock stars. They have revolutionized the sake world with their 59 lineup, which showcases several “chapters” of Junmai Ginjo Nama, built around different rices. They all use the same 59% milling percentage on the rice, the same water, and the same yeast, but each one features a specific, highly beloved rice strain. In other words, everything about the production process is identical—the only thing that differs is the rice.

Eduardo immediately became enchanted with the brewery’s techniques and the complex flavors in their sakes. Their Chapter 2 highlights Hyogo prefecture’s Aiyama rice—first bred in 1949—and it’s an expressive sipper with seductive red raspberry and rose petal notes on the nose, and beautiful red fruit on the palate.

The Takachiyo brewery has been around for over 150 years, and they only produce each chapter of their 59s in tiny numbers. They’ve become a cult classic not only in Japan, but among lovers of top-quality sake all over the world. Indulging in one of their exquisite bottlings is an illuminating experience that will change the way you think about what’s possible when you combine top-quality rice and 150 years of expertise.