THE GENESIS OF A VISION
Following his retirement from his professional football (soccer) career, Hidetoshi Nakata spent seven years traveling throughout Japan’s forty-seven prefectures to learn more about Japanese culture and craftsmanship. Of all the traditions he encountered, sake brewing in particular captured his attention.
“My goal: to bring Japan’s precious assets to the world and make sure they stand the test of time.”
—HIDETOSHI NAKATA
THE CHALLENGE FOR UNPARALLELED EXCELLENCE
As Japanese cuisine’s appeal became a global phenomenon, Hidetoshi Nakata observed Japanese cuisine’s rising popularity during his extensive travels abroad.
However, he was also deeply concerned about the limited selection and poor condition of sake available, even at the most renowned Japanese restaurants and prestigious diplomatic events. He saw that the genuine quality painstakingly achieved by producers was being lost.
This situation stemmed primarily from limited awareness and knowledge of sake—particularly of how it must be stored to preserve the delicate flavours the brewer intended.
Recognising the need to improve sake quality and expand its global market, Nakata devoted himself to developing solutions. In 2013, he conceived a plan to create a sake of unparalleled excellence, with a flavour profile capable of standing alongside the world’s finest grand cru wines. This marked the beginning of an unprecedented challenge to ensure that optimum quality and flavour could be enjoyed by consumers—from the brewery to the final glass.
A MEETING OF TWO MINDS
This challenge was also a quest for the perfect partner. After visiting over 500 sake breweries, it was Juyondai, produced by Tatsugoro Takagi of Takagi Sake Brewery, Yamagata, that fascinated him most. As someone well-versed in wine, Nakata was deeply impressed by how comparable this sake’s quality was to the world’s finest wines.
Nakata was captivated by the fifteenth-generation leader of the brewery, Tatsugoro Takagi, whose outstanding skill, sincere attitude, and discerning palate left a lasting impression.
From farmers to brewers, glassmakers, metal forgers, papermakers, calligraphy artists, and many more artisans, N by Hidetoshi Nakata is a culmination of craftsmanship.
Through the combined power of their passion and effort, N by Hidetoshi Nakata was born.
N by HIDETOSHI NAKATA — The Signature Expression —
To realise Hidetoshi Nakata’s vision of creating the world’s finest sake, only 1,000 bottles of this limited-edition cuvée are produced each vintage. N by Hidetoshi Nakata is handcrafted with meticulous, labour-intensive techniques and made from Special A-grade Yamada Nishiki and rare Aiyama sake rice, both cultivated in Hyogo’s rich terroir, then combined with the smooth, pure spring water of Yamagata.
Sumptuous aromas of Fuji apple, honeydew melon, and white flowers rise from the glass, giving way to a smooth, well-structured palate. The texture is supple and silky, developing a rich umami character and a luxurious complexity that swells, expands, and finally recedes with poise into a long, graceful finish.
Filtration: Shizuku-shibori cloth-bag gravity filtration
Maturation: Aged for 24 months at −8 °C to develop additional richness and complexity
Alcohol: 15 % ABV
N by HIDETOSHI NAKATA 2017 VINTAGE — An Homage to Time —
Driven by the vision of creating the world’s finest sake, N by Hidetoshi Nakata has been reborn as the 2017 Vintage—an exceptionally rare sake that shows the graceful expression and elegant complexity of a fine grand cru. Each year, a small number of bottles are set aside for long-term maturation in the −8 °C cellar of Takagi Sake Brewery.
After six years of ageing at −8 °C, the bright fruit aromas of its youth have evolved with poise.
Soft notes of ripe pear, Japanese honeyed apple, yellow flowers, chamomile,and powdered almonds now emerge. The palate is smooth and mellow, revealing layered nuances of ripe pear and acacia honey that unfold into a rich umami character at the mid-palate. Well-integrated sweetness and refined acidity provide balance, leading to a long, luxurious off-dry finish.
Filtration: Shizuku-shibori cloth-bag gravity filtration
Maturation: Bottle-matured at −8 °C for six years
Alcohol: 15 % ABV
A BORDERLESS CULINARY EXPERIENCE
“N by Hidetoshi Nakata provides a wider range of flavours than white wines and is lighter than red wines.”
Conceived for an international audience, N by Hidetoshi Nakata exhibits a flavour profile that complements an exceptionally wide spectrum of cuisines, making its pairing potential virtually borderless. It partners effortlessly with dishes ranging from French and Italian classics to Japanese specialities and the diverse flavours of Asia.
Richer in umami than most white wines yet milder in flavour and finer in texture than typical reds, it accompanies proteins as varied as buttery white fish, crab and lobster, to lightly seasoned poultry, pork and beef.
Serving temperature: 10 °C
Recommended glassware: Bordeaux glass
INNOVATION FOR ULTIMATE QUALITY
To ensure that optimum quality and flavour can be enjoyed by consumers, N by Hidetoshi Nakata is exported through the world’s first sake-blockchain system. This innovative network maintains a constant temperature of −5 °C and provides full traceability from the brewery to Bacchus Global, the official sales partner in Thailand.
To guarantee optimal conditions from the brewery to the consumer’s glass, each bottle of N by Hidetoshi Nakata is individually numbered and labelled with a unique QR code that delivers traceability and authentic quality assurance via the sake-blockchain system.
Experience the Vision
To discover the spirit, excellence, and wisdom of Japanese craftspeople embodied in this exceptional sake, please contact us.
The official sales partner in Thailand
Bacchus Global
