Norman

9.1

Jozan Yamadanishiki Vintage 2024

Ok this is a $20 sake in Japan which is where I brought it back from. That’s insane since it would be at least $75 here and not nearly as fresh. It’s thinner than I like, it’s like tap water thin. I like a bit more weight. It’s got a long finish. Not sweet, bit of bitterness on the end.

Here is ChatGPT which has some great points.

Name: 常山 山田錦 ヴィンテージ Jozan Yamadanishiki Vintage 2024
Rice: 100% 山田錦 (Yamada Nishiki)
Rice origin: Fukui Prefecture, Fukui City, Miyama area, Kamiajimi district (contract-grown) 
Farmer: 内田一朗 (Ichiro Uchida) 
Polish ratio: Not disclosed (非公開) 
ABV: 15% (label and brewery spec) 
Bottle: 720 ml
Brewery: 常山酒造合資会社 (Jozan Shuzo)
Location: Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture 
Brew timing: Your back label shows 製造年月 2025年7月 (manufactured/bottled July 2025).
“Vintage 2024” meaning: Jozan attaches a Vintage sticker for each brewing year in this series. 

Sake type, based on the label

Your ingredient list is rice + koji only, with no brewing alcohol listed. That is consistent with Junmai.
It does not say “Nama” or “Genshu” on the label, and the brewery recommends warming, so it is very likely a heat-treated, standard-strength food sake rather than a fragile unpasteurized bottle. Junmai definition: made from rice, koji, and water only (no added distilled alcohol).

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What it’s trying to be (context)

This is from Jozan’s “地域との友和 / The Areas” concept, which is basically “show the place and the farmer,” using contract-grown rice from specific Fukui districts. Jozan’s broader house style is described as crisp, clean, and dry-leaning while still drawing out rice umami. 

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What it should taste like (grounded expectations)

You can predict a lot from the combination of Yamada Nishiki plus Jozan’s stated style:
• Aroma: elegant, restrained ginjo lift rather than loud fruit, with a polished “rice sweetness” feel
• Palate: fuller mid-palate than their more linear rices, then a tidy finish
• Finish: likely clean and quick enough to keep pulling bites of food forward, not a syrupy linger

Jozan themselves describe it as “elegant, swelling fullness” typical of Yamada Nishiki, with real drinkability. 

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Serving that will fit your preferences

Because you like more structure for dinner, don’t default to ice-cold.

Best starting point: 15°C (cool cellar temp). Jozan explicitly calls out ~15°C. 
This usually gives more body, more rice texture, and better length versus refrigerator-cold.

If you want more “kick” and grip with dinner: try it warmed to about 50°C (their recommendation). 
Warming tends to amplify umami, widen the palate, and make the finish feel longer. It also exposes flaws, so if it stays clean at 50°C, it’s doing its job.

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Pairing (where it should shine)

This is built for food.
• Best: sushi with more fat and umami (chutoro, salmon, anago, uni), grilled items, soy-forward bites
• Also good: yakitori (salt), miso, mushrooms, lightly sweet simmered dishes
• Less ideal: extremely delicate white fish only, where you might prefer a more airy, higher-aroma ginjo style

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Quick reality check on value

I see it listed around ¥3,300 for 720 ml at retail in Japan. 
For a contract-farmer, single-area Yamada Nishiki bottling from a serious Fukui producer, that’s a reasonable baseline.

The one “tell” to note: polish ratio is undisclosed. 
That is not automatically bad, but it means you judge it purely on what’s in the glass, not on a marketing spec.

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Nerd corner: why Yamada Nishiki often feels “bigger”

Yamada Nishiki has a large, starchy core (shinpaku) that tends to ferment into a rounder, more integrated mid-palate than many table rices. With a brewery that aims for crisp finish, you often get a satisfying combo: volume in the middle, snap at the end. — 8 days ago

Mark S.

9.0

A bit deep forest herb aroma. Parsley. Spice. Salt and mineral. 2019 @720/G(2800), domaine, 220709 — 3 years ago

Norman

9.1

Banshu Ikkon “Chō-kara” Junmai, i.e., “Super-Dry”
Brewery: 山陽盃酒造株式会社 (Sanyōhai Shuzō), Shisō, Hyōgo
Rice: 兵庫北錦 100% (Hyōgo Kitanishiki)
Polish: 60% remaining
SMV (nihonshu-do): +10 (very dry)
ABV: 15%
Volume: 720 ml
Bottled: 2025-06
Style notes from the back label: soft umami with clarity and a very crisp finish; versatile across temperatures.

What to expect in the glass
• Aromatics are restrained. Think steamed rice, faint grain, maybe a hint of dried apple rather than ginjō fruit.
• Palate is lean and highly dry with a quick, clean cut. The +10 SMV puts it on the bone-dry end of the spectrum.
• Body is light to mid. Not a plush or glycerol style. If served too cold it can read “thin” and a touch bitter on the back end.

It’s dry for sure. Crisp and on the edge of bitter/sharp. The body is light and mouthfeel borders on thin but better than those others I called thin, watery and bitter. I liked this. Not staying loved but it was good and did go went with food. Has a bit of a finish that I couldn’t quite place but is what gave it the bitterness. It’s not one that just disappears. — 4 months ago

Iwan

9.1

High elevation, Cabernet Savignon from Israel. Surprising freshness and acidity. Very elegant. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

The Vice Wines The Millennial Batch #96 Multi Vintage, California

Dark purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Sweet nose of blackberries, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, cola, licorice, chocolates, coffee, herbs and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, dried figs, vanilla, cola, cedar, chocolates, tobacco, spices, peppercorn and mocha.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Petite Sirah blend from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a smooth mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, when tannins and structure come in.

Easy drinking and good for parties. Might be too fruity for some.

An interesting blend of 63% Petite Sirah (from Mount Veeder), 21% Malbec, 8% Primitivo, 7% Tempranillo and 1% Charbono. Aged in French oak barrels (29% new) for over a year. Only 720 cases made.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$29. — 3 years ago

Dylan Thomas

9.1

Lyle-Tomas young but donkey — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Neon pink in color with a peach hue.

Fruity nose and dry on the palate with mild complexity.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Showing dark cherries, raspberries, strawberries, limes, green apples and light spices.

Tangy finish with limes and light almonds.

This is a tasty Rosé from Sonoma County. Crisp and refreshing. Easy drinking and a good food wine.

100% Pinot Noir grapes. A tiny production of only 720 bottles.

13.1% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$28. — 4 months ago

Vitaly Domnenko

8.9

Bm-. Tm. Am. Fm. — a year ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

Outstanding white #rhone style blend from Reddy Vineyards #texashighplains AVA. 35% #roussane ; 33% #marsanne and 32% #viognier . Commendably moderate ABV at 13.5% . Golden straw color in glass. Nose features apple and stone fruit - mouthwatering acidity on the palate, great texture and a long finish. 720 cases produced so a lovely TX rarity. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Optio Vineyards Geneseo District Tempranillo 2020, Paso Robles, California

Dark ruby in color, almost inky, with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, chocolates, coffee, black pepper, pencil lead and herbs.

Full bodied and very smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, vanilla, herbs, light earth, cola, chocolates, tobacco, spices, coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Tempranillo from Paso Robles. Still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself.

Shows great structure with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Spicy and rich. Opulent and tasty. Feels like a Napa Merlot.

Good right out of the bottle, but so much better after 90 minutes of airtime.

Easy drinking and good by itself. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 years.

I paired it with a nice piece of Ribeye steak.

Aged for 17 months in (40% new) oak barrels. A tiny production of only 720 bottles.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 3 years ago