NV Obata Shuzo Manotsuru Maho Daiginjo Niigata 750 ml

The same way many wine lovers hope to one day have a sip of Montrachet or Lafite, we’ve long wanted to bring sake from Sado Island’s legendary, century-old Obata brewery to you. 

We’re proud to announce that we can now share the incredible Obata Shuzo Manotsuru Maho Daiginjo with our members. A vibrant, creamy, and crisp effort that epitomizes why sakes from Niigata Prefecture are some of the most prized in all of Japan, it’s a must-try not just for sake aficionados but for any wine lover who appreciates the level of detail and near-obsession that go into creating a premium bottle like this. 

Rumiko Obata never planned to run her family’s brewery on Japan’s ecologically unspoiled Sado Island. But when her father fell ill in the mid-1990s, she knew she had to leave her job in the film industry, return home, and keep the family business alive. Her desire, as she told Wine Enthusiast, was to connect Sado to the world through sake.

The Obatas’ motto is “Making sake by harmonizing 4 treasures: rice, water, people (brewers), and Sado Island.” In other words, if you take proper care of the land, it will take care of you. 

Sado is famous for its amazing oysters, and much of the rice for Obata’s sake comes from a farmer who uses oyster shells to fertilize his field and purify the water. This allows him to reduce the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers needed to grow Yamada Nishiki rice, which yields fragrant, fruity, elegant, and complex sakes.

Just as a centuries-old Burgundy domaine produces an inimitable product from their special terroir, so does Obata, from their own special place on Earth.