Momotose 1970With the qualities and romance of a 50-year aging process
Fukumitsuya first began exploring long-term aged sake in 1959. When Japan was entering its postwar period of rapid economic growth, it was standard to focus on quantity over quality with sake, utilizing mass production techniques. Seeking to provide even greater value, Hiromu Fukumitsu, the brewery’s 12th owner, dedicated himself to developing long-term aged sake, to discover and bring forth the possibilities and value it offers.
With a keen eye looking decades into the future, passion and dedication were poured into the work. These efforts include ensuring the best rice selection process possible, learning about sake aging and storage, and continually attempting new approaches at the new dedicated facility “Midorigura” that was established. Both aged sake and techniques have since been inherited by Matsutaro Fukumitsu, the brewery’s 13th owner, who has taken them into the present day.
Among its long-term aged sake offerings, the jewel of the brewery’s offerings is a junmai sake offering from 1970. The oldest on hand, this variety is now entering its sixth decade. “Momotose 1970”, as it’s known, stretches across three historical Japanese eras: Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa. It offers a completely unique flavor and profile, one that truly combines the blessings of each era. We hope that you have the chance to enjoy a glass, a moment of bliss combined with the romance of a bottle of sake that has looked out on half a century.
With its overwhelmingly rich aroma, multi-layered and dignified taste, this aged sake invites you to an unknown world.
Hiroshi Ishida
3rd place in the 10th ASI Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World Sommelier at Restaurant "L'aube"
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Appearance
It has a transparent, golden amber color that is both brilliant and vibrant.
Nose
First impression is discreet and also having depth and refined, with a very complex impression that floats as if swathed in a veil. Adding to the multilayered aroma of loquat, Japanese plum, and steamed rice, one can also sense hints of plums, dates, iodine, dried shiitake mushrooms, and smoked meat by long-term aging. The caramel and soy sauce-like aroma and the aged bouquet (hineka) caused by the Maillard reaction＊, which is often seen in aged sake, are subtly suppressed. The aromas of spices, like nutmeg, cumin, island pepper, and so on, are also lavish. It is also redolent of aged Armagnac.
＊Maillard reaction: The reaction between sugars and amino acids that occurs during the aging of sake, causing browning as well as a caramel-like, burnt aroma.
Taste
The taste is exceptionally smooth and mellow, with a creamy and flowing texture and the hint of the aroma of black tea. Each element of its flavor is in perfect harmony. The bitterness of the aftertaste blends creaminess with an embracing overall dryness.
Overall evaluation
This is an extremely delicate, multidimensional, silkily tasteful, well-balanced, and refined old vintage sake with immeasurable potential to withstand long-term aging. Experienced at a lukewarm kanzake at 40°C, the sense of its aging is enhanced, and the overall cohesiveness of its aroma improves. The taste is getting more supple, smooth, and silky.
Tasting temperature: room temperature
Hiroshi Ishida
Sommelier, Restaurant “L’aube” (Higashiazabu, Tokyo) Vice Chair, Japan Sommelier Association Executive Chef Sommelier, Hotel Gajoen Tokyo (Meguro, Tokyo) Enterprise HUGE Co., Ltd. Corporate Sommelier
Born in 1969. Ishida served as a sommelier (1990-2004) for Hotel New Otani and Restaurant La Tour d’Argent, and manager of Beige Alain Ducasse Tokyo (2004-2010). Since 2013, he has been working as a freelancer to improve the status and quality of sommelier jobs through activities such as education, consulting, and writing. At the 2015 World Gourmet Summit (Singapore), he participated in the promotion of sake produced in Ishikawa Prefecture with Mr. Shinichiro Takagi of Zeniya.
1996, 1998, 2014 Winner of the Competition of the Best Sommelier of Japan 2000 3rd place in the 10th ASI Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World 2011 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Contemporary Master Craftsman November 2014 Received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon from the Cabinet Office 2015 Winner of the Contest of the Best Sommelier of Asia / Oceania 2016 Semifinalist in the 15th ASI Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World 2016 June - Executive Chef Sommelier to Hotel Gajoen Tokyo 2016 June - Restaurant “L’aube” opens 2017 - Enterprise HUGE Co., Ltd. Corporate Sommelier
Books "A Sommelier’s journey of fascinating wine pairings discovery" Tokyodo Shuppan (2019) "15 stories for a smart approach to wine" SEKAIBUNKA PUBLISHING INC. (2019) “10 kinds of Grape to know the wine" Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (2013)
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Each drop of this vintage sake makes us feel a story. A fantastic sake with infinite energy.
Xavier Thuizat
Chef sommelier of the "Hôtel de Crillon" in Paris（5 stars） Founder and president of Kura Master
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Appearance
Beautiful and profound with intense golden color. It has a sparkle and resplendent strength.
Nose
The first aroma is intense, and complex. An aroma based on honey, beeswax and sandalwood. The richness and tenacity of this bouquet are amazing. Although it is a vintage of 50 years, it shows amazing freshness and youthfulness.
Taste
The moment you taste it, it's fresh and clean, strong and delicate. Exceptionally beautiful notes reminiscent of honey and the scent of wood spread, and you sense the wonderful complexity of spicy flavors like cumin and curry. Moreover, its robust acidity brings consistent energy to this great sake. The finish has a nice sweetness and is very sensual. To bring out the perfect expression of this liquor, we recommend using a Riedel Riesling-type glass and enjoying it at 18°C.
Pairing
Top-shelf veal ris de veau with chestnut and Jerusalem artichoke puree with cumin-flavored carrot mousse. Mont Blanc is the perfect dessert.
Tasting temperature: room temperature
Xavier Thuizat
Chef sommelier of the "Hôtel de Crillon" in Paris（5 stars） Founder and president of Kura Master
Sake samurai from 2020 Gold medalist at ASI Certification in 2021
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Golden drops leave one with a sense of the 50-year history and show the future potential of Kanazawa.
Kenichi Tsuji
Japan Sommelier Association Certified Sommelier Excellence Owner of wine bar "Le Chateau de Chinon"
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Appearance
Bright golden color with a topaz tinge like the coming light praying from Mt. Hakusan. It has transparency and viscosity that are clearly visible. A bright color that feels youthful, and seems unlikely for a 50-year-old vintage.
Nose
Mellow, complex and concentrated. Its fragrant sweet scent of rice candy and crème brûlée is accented with the scent of dried fruits of apricots and figs, and the spicy scent of roasted sesame seeds, coriander seeds, and ginger. The dried flower-like scent of chamomile adds a refreshing sensation, and achieves harmony with the scent of hazelnuts, iodine, and soil such as shiitake mushrooms. Moreover, the refreshing impression of pine needles, the resin-like scent and the dry and fragrant aroma of yukizuri, ropes of straw strung over trees to protect their branches from heavy snow. These qualities harmonize to give the sense of the yukizuri stretched across the pine trees in Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa city.
Taste
The taste has a mellow attack with strong expanding acidity, balanced elegant umami and sweetness, and a pleasant bitterness and lingering finish that leaves you sensing its finesse for a very long time. Hazelnuts and dried apricot fruits are added to flavors redolent of honey, the aroma of iodine, and resin, and despite the many elements of flavor, they are in perfect harmony without any one more prominent than the other.
Overall evaluation
Although it has a complexity and depth cultivated through 50 years of aging, its color and acidity leave one with the sense of its potential and strength. This sake continues to evolve, espousing further expectations for future aging.
Pairing
Steamed sea bream
The sake smooths out the texture of Unohana, harmonizing the aroma of root vegetables such as burdocks, and the earthy scent of the sake, hemp, ginger and spices with the rocky shore flavor of the sea bream overlapping with the scent of iodine. With the soup stock and the umami of the sake enhancing the richness of the sake, this is a pairing you should try at a celebration.
Noto 115 Log Shiitake Mushroom Temari Sushi
Slice the Noto 115 log shiitake mushrooms, sandwich, and steam them with Kombu seaweed. Use the shiitake mushrooms to make Temari sushi and season with Noto salt. The umami of the shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and the umami of the sake are in sync, and the sweetness and acidity of the sushi rice are in harmony.
Roasted Nodoguro with grated daikon radish ponzu sauce
The fat of the nodoguro -blackthroat seaperch, the umami of sake, and the aroma of roasting overlap with the aroma of sake. When grated daikon radish ponzu sauce is added, the acidity of the sake and the earthy aroma match even further.
Deep-fried Noto pork sandwiched in Kaga lotus root with curry salt
The fat of the Noto pork, the umami of the sake, and the lotus root harmonize with the earthy aroma. The acidity of the sake enhances the flavor of the fat of the deep-fried pork, and the curry salt is a great match with the aroma of coriander seeds and minerals of the sake.
Miso-flavored Noto beef shigureni
Combining the umami and richness of Noto beef and the flavor of fragrant miso with lukewarm sake creates an overall elegant finish.
Tasting temperature: room temperature
Kenichi Tsuji
Owner of wine bar "Le Chateau de Chinon" President of wine school “Le Salon de Chinon” Trustee of Japan Sommelier Association
Born 1970 in Kanazawa. SAKE DIPLOMA, Japan Sommelier Association Certified Sommelier Excellence. A trustee of the Japan Sommelier Association, Tsuji is familiar with both wine and cheese from various countries and sake. He has co-sponsored pairing events and lectures with Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery since 2011. In the "ITAYA" series, he oversees concept work, sensory evaluation, and pairing supervision.
Champagne Knights Certified "Chevalier" "Chevalier du Taste Fromage" certified by the Chevaliers du Taste-Fromage de FranceBordeaux Commission Certified "Bordeaux Wine Tutor" Wine of Germany Certified " German Wine Academy Educator" South African Embassy WOSA Certified "South African Wine Specialist" Wine Australia Certified "A+ Australian Wine Trade Specialist" Wine and Spirits Cultural Association "Wine Instructor" Government of Andalusia, Spain Certified "Venenciador" Cheese Professional Association Certified "Cheese Professional" Japan German Wine Association Certified " Advanced German Wine Kenner" And so on
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Junmai sake, among the oldest available in the world
Aged for 50 years now, “Momotose 1970” is some of the oldest sake available, anywhere in the world. Brewed and cared for with the utmost diligence, this sake is not only the oldest on hand at Fukumitsuya, but also truly contains the luxury of those long years. Brewing with just rice and water for half a century, a sublime fragrance arises, as does a glossy amber shine and a deep flavor. The experience offered by “Momotose 1970” is one not available anywhere else in the world, one completely distinct from other wines and spirits. The flavor is deep and mature, and the trailing notes are incredible.
An aging process reinforced by Kanazawa’s four seasons
If time is the most important aspect in producing long-term aged sake, climate is a close second. Facing the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa’s unique weather has enhanced the 50-year aging. The temperature differences in the aging facility between the hot and humid summer and the cold, snowy winter create an ideal breathing environment for aging. Passing through the area’s four seasons each year slowly carves out deep, beautiful flavors and fragrances.
Photo credit : Kanazawa City
Gifts provided by water, rice, and Ishikawa’s natural features
We brew our sake with Hyakunensui, one-hundred-year-old water in English. Snow and rain from the sacred Mt. Hakusan permeate the soil, eventually finding its place in the basement of our brewery a century later. Our brewing process uses 100% Ishikawa Prefecture-produced Gohyakumangoku rice, which should deepen the sake’s body and fragrance over time while it is in storage for aging. If you seek a sake made using local rice and water, one that ages in the heart of Ishikawa, “Momotose 1970” is the one for you.
Aging techniques inherited over the years
Successive owners at the brewery have focused their passions on long-term aged sake production, research and dedication that has involved successive chief brewers and brewing technicians. These dedicated individuals combine deep insight with superior techniques. Chief brewers are responsible for production, and technicians ensure that the storage and aging process develops as intended. Each generation of individuals inherits the techniques of those previous, developed through an expansive trial-and-error process that first began in 1959. The end products are the results of these day-to-day efforts of our artisans, who work to evolve tradition and create true value.
Designs that offer a glimpse into the beauty of Kanazawa and Ishikawa
We maintain extremely high standards for the equipment we use with our “Momotose 1970”. Everything is produced in special order, with each bottle created with an awareness of the beauty and traditional techniques of Kanazawa, using the fantastic materials offered by Ishikawa.
Kaga Futamata Japanese Paper
Kaga Futamata Japanese paper can boast of 1,300 years of history as the paper of choice in the former Kaga Domain. Made by hand entirely from Japanese paper mulberry, the extravagant paper is used for the seals of bottles and brochures.
Kaga Mizuhiki
“Kaga Mizuhiki”, combining a unique formative art with the essence of Kaga Hyakumangoku. Snow-white silk mizuhiki is used, with an ornamental “flower” design product via the knots in the mizuhiki.
Kanazawa Gold Leaf
The inside of the box features “eternal pure gold & platinum leaf”, an alloy with 99% pure gold and 1% pure platinum. Handmade by skilled artisans.
Japanese cypress wooden presentation box
Made using rare Ishikawa Prefecture-produced Japanese cypress that combines superior rigidity with beautiful tones.
Potassium oxide glass bottle
Out of concern for the environment, this crystal glass bottle doesn’t include oxidized lead. Each of these specially-made bottles is created individually by hand.
Fully cherishing the aroma and flavor
“Momotose 1970” is an incredibly rare long-term aged sake. In order to enjoy its wonderful flavors, a round glass with a short stem is recommended, such as a brandy glass. Swirling the glass before you drink, your palm will warm the sake and bring out a deep fragrance. After opening the bottle, please store it at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
720ml with Japanese cypress wooden presentation box 1,100,000JPY（exc.tax 1,000,000JPY）
Sake ages and aging figures current as of time of release (April 2021).
“Nojuku” Type of Aged Sake “Momotose”
There are two types of aged sakes, one of which is called “Tanjuku” that is cellared at low temperatures, and the other of which is “Nojuku” that is aged at room temperatures.
Momotose is “Nojuku” type whose color, fragrance and taste change dramatically in course of time.
Full-bodied sakes can improve in flavor wonderfully with age, and such well-aged sakes will give you an entirely new experience of sake. Aged sakes have such unique flavors that they can pair with various types of dishes, creating new ways of enjoying sake parings.
The basics are Rice and Water Fukumitsuya is a “Junmai-Gura”
Founded in 1625, Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery has the longest history in Kanazawa. With natural mineral water, superior quality sake rice, and traditional brewing skills, it has been making sake for over 390 years. We make Junmai sake that is brewed only from rice and water since 2001. With the highest level of craftsmanship and traditional family secret recipe, Fukumitsuya has enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest sake breweries in the area. Today, without leaving the tradition behind, we are evolving into a sake brewery of the future.
