Hamada Vineyard’s Chardonnay is grown on the family’s small hillside vineyard in Tappu, Mikasa City, in Hokkaido’s Sorachi subprefecture. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed to preserve their character, then fermented and aged for about eight months, primarily in used (neutral) oak barrels, which allow the fruit and site to show through rather than overlaying heavy new-oak character. As with the rest of the estate’s wines, the fruit is meticulously hand-selected at harvest, and the Chardonnay is made at the family’s own winery.