Wineshark Wine Tasting - Chitosetsuru 千歳鶴

In 1873, Shibata Yojiemon (柴田與次右衛門), who came from Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture, started a sake brewery Shibata Shuzoten (柴田酒造店) on the banks of Sosei River (創成川) in Hokkaido. The sake produced was popular among the government officials, and business was good. Shibata was thus recognized as the pioneer of Hokkaido's sake brewing industry.

Since then, Shibata Shuzoten continued to improve quality and had steadily grown. By 1895, along with some industry peers, they established Sapporo Shuzo Partnership (札幌酒造合名会社), entering a new era for sake production in Sapporo. In September 1913, the company was reorganized and Sapporo Shuzo Co. Ltd. (札幌酒造株式会社) was established. 

In 1938, as requested by the government, eight companies joined together to become Nippon Seishu Co. Ltd. (日本清酒株式会社), with a unified brand Chitosetsuru (千歳鶴). After the war, supported by the booming economy, sake production of Chitosetsuru steadily increased. 

In 1959, Tanchozo (丹頂蔵), the largest sake brewery in Japan, was completed, and three years later it started to export overseas. In 1967, the company expanded its base in Honshu, expanding its business further. Chitosetsuru was recognized as a famous Hokkaido sake, having won the Gold Prize for 14 consecutive years in the National New Sake Competition.

Chitosetsuru has been using the underground water of Toyohira River (豊平川) for sake production, where the lush mountains that line the southern part of Sapporo are the source of the water. Sapporo has celebrated its 140th anniversary and now has 1.9 million people. The reason why Chitose Tsuru continues to make sake in the city center is because the water veins boast one of the best water quality in Hokkaido. Although having a large factory in the suburbs has advantages in terms of production efficiency and cost, Chitosetsuru is particular about making sake that brews sake from this area with the water of this area. Because of this water, good sake can be made. 

In 2000, Ginfu (吟風) started to be recognized as a good rice variety for sake brewing in Hokkaido, but actually before that, Chitosetsuru had already started brewing on trial using the variety. In 2001, they focused on making sake that made the most of the taste of Ginfu, and refined it to a level to produce Daiginjo. 

Since 2003, the brewery had been working with farmers from the Pinne Sake Rice Production Association (ピンネ酒米生産組合) in Shin-Totsukawa (新十津川町), which boasts the largest acreage of sake rice in Hokkaido in Sorachi (空知). Today, they are producting sake that use only Ginfu grown in the area as a raw material.

The sixth-generation and current chief brewer, Tomoko Ichizawa (市澤智子), is the first female chief brewer since the founding of the company in 1873. 

This bottle of Chitosetsuru Junmai Daiginjo Mizusho (千歳鶴 純米大吟醸 瑞翔) is using 100% Kitashizuku, with polishing rate of 35%, alcohol level of 16%, acidity 1.3 and sake level +1. 

This bottle of Chitosetsuru Junmai Daiginjo Yoshisho (千歳鶴 純米大吟醸 吉翔) is using 100% Yamada Nishiki, with polishing rate of 40%, alcohol level of 16%, acidity 1.1 and sake level 0. 

Reference: https://www.nipponseishu.co.jp/