In his search for renewed harmony at IWA, Richard Geoffroy, fifth chef de cave for Dom Pérignon Champagne, pursues the dream of a grand Japanese sake. A sake absolutely true to sake—with its salient flow of sensations—yet embracing and expanded in character. A radiant sake. Such a paradoxical proposition cannot come from a single brew. It can only be achieved through blending, by design. Blending adds a paradigm to the established paradigm of rice polishing. The more blended, the more harmonious.
Through precise orchestration, five classes of elements sing in unison to create IWA 5. The rice class, for instance, comprises three varieties: Yamada Nishiki, Omachi, Gohyakumangoku. In the yeast class, five strains are brought together. Also brought into play are the origin of the rice, the yeast propagation method (moto) and the regimes of fermentation. The blend is the controlled interplay of these many instruments to define a world of possibilities and select the few ones worth pursuing and refining into euphony. It’s all there. In its right place. At the right moment.
The making of IWA 5 is not a stable recipe but an experimental process reconsidered every year. IWA 5 will evolve subtly, and from one year to the next new traits will emerge, and new facets appear.
Tasting notes:
Great presence, from the first glance down to the very last sip, through the seamless flow of a wide spectrum of characters. Perfectly balanced, weightless yet profound, intense and persistent.
