From Pisa Terrace Vineyard, Central Otago. Gravely, mineral abundant, well-draining soils with quartz and schist. Hand harvested. 16% Whole bunch fermentation. Aged in French Oak barrels for 16 months, 14% new. 495 cases produced.
 
Yoshiaki Sato and his wife Kyoko moved to Central Otago in 2006 and have been producing wines made with minimal intervention ever since. Yoshiaki and Kyoko have completed vintages together in Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace and to this day work under the mentorship of Pierre Frick. Until now Yoshiaki has been sourcing fruit from organic vineyards around Central Otago and in early 2016 purchased his own farm in the Pisa sub-region which he has planted with Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. Wines from Sato’s own vineyard are not expected until 2018.
 
Sato’s wines are atypically Central Otago; picked early with fresh acidity and perfect fruit ripeness, the wines are softer on the palate and more expressive of time and place than the more conventionally finished, over-worked and youthfully-aggressive wines of the region. These wines are more feminine in character and more elegant than most other wines of the region.