How a Celebrated Champagne Maker—Richard Geoffroy—Reimagined Sake
It is a sad indictment on the state of the domestic sake industry that Issei Tomine, the fictional character from the Manga comic and recent Apple TV+ series Drops of God, is a doyen of fine wine rather than a sake connoisseur. Sake—often referred to as nihonshu (“alcoholic beverage of Japan”), underlying its cultural significance to the country—has been in decline for decades. In the early 1970s, there were 3,700 sake breweries producing close to 1.8m kilolitres compared to less than 1,200 breweries producing 0.4m kilolitres today.
The hype surrounding the growth of sake is confined to foreign markets and premium sake, a tiny portion of the sector, and one where growth rates have been computed from a very small base, currently representing five percent of total sales volume. “The only way is up!” says Richard Geoffroy, the pioneering French sake producer, who fell in love with Japan and decided to retire as Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave to found IWA, a new start-up sake brand located in Toyama on the west coast of Honshu Island, Japan.
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The Showman Who Always Delivers
I have known Richard Geoffroy for almost a decade, and in that time, he has never failed to come across as one of the most up-beat, creative and passionate individuals I have had the pleasure to encounter. Ever the showman, he is famous for his hand-gestures and ‘Richard-isms’: harmony, balance and preciseness (whistling, while slicing his hand through the air like a sword to give physical gesture to his words) are just a small sample from the repertoire Richard pulls out when explaining his vision for wine … and now for sake.
Having been fortunate enough to hear about the IWA project long before it came to fruition, the greatest compliment that I can pay to Richard (pronounced Ree-shard for English speakers) is to say that it has turned out exactly as I had expected. Richard was never going to create a sake in the traditional sense: one that puts aromatics above palate-feel, accentuates a short water-like finish and was only ever meant to be paired with Japanese food. On the contrary, IWA was always going to be about creating a sake that would have vinous qualities, depth in the mid-palate and a long, memorable finish that could pair as easily with Mediterranean food as a great Puligny-Montrachet. Although sake has a 1,200 year history, in a few short years, Richard has been able to reimagine it, giving it relevance and intellectual curiosity that would have attracted no less of a character than Issei Tomine to wax lyrical.
The ‘Artiste’ Master Blender
Spending two days with Richard at the brewery (kura in Japanese), it became clear that sake has many, if not more, characteristics in common with champagne production than I could have had anticipated. Sake is a heavily processed product and, as such, there are literally thousands of options available to the brewer that can materially influence the final outcome. For the ‘artiste’ master blender, this is a godsend, especially given that Japanese sake regulations are much lighter than their equivalent for champagne, creating an endless playground of possibilities for Richard’s curious mind.
It comes, therefore, as no surprise that IWA 5 (the name of his first, and currently only, commercial product) is produced from three different rice varieties and five different yeast strains. The latter, uniquely, includes two different wine yeasts that Richard believes bring presence, weight, complexity to the sake, as well as retaining that most important of characteristics, ‘drinkability’.
“Screaming To Be Blended”
Blending (assemblage, as it is known in French) is definitely the biggest innovation that Richard has brought to the sake industry. Before he showed up, nobody was blending sake systematically. “I didn’t introduce assemblage merely because I am known as a master blender,” Richard comments. “I introduced it as sake was screaming to be blended. It was obvious that it would benefit greatly from the process, bringing more complexity, completeness and harmony to the final product.” If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, it is evident that some in the sake industry have started to agree with Richard, as there are now several examples of sake assemblages that have been released onto the market on the back of IWA’s success.
Ultimately, Richard’s vision for IWA 5 is for its appeal to be more akin to that of fine wine, embraced by connoisseurs who crave a vinous experience: balance, complexity, body, long finish and drinkability that can pair with multiple food types. With alcohol levels coming in at 15 percent ABV – rather at the low end for sake – IWA has been made to be enjoyed like wine. “IWA will become Japan’s super-premium new craft alcoholic beverage,” Richard expounds. “Interestingly, many sommeliers in Japan are now decanting IWA as they would a fine wine.”
“Beauty and Power in Simplicity”
Trying to understand a sake label is even more difficult than deciphering a German wine label. Language barriers aside, I asked a few of my wine friends if they could name a single high-end sake. Nobody could, although one of them (incorrectly) said, “Dasa or Masa, or something like that”. He was probably referring to Dassai 23, the near ubiquitous high-end sake found in many Japanese restaurants in London and New York. (The ‘23’ refers to the polishing ratio – only 23 percent of the rice grain remains after the polishing process which is often, and somewhat erroneously, associated with absolute quality; in fact, it’s a fad that has resulted in the ridiculous zero rice sakes where less than 1% of the grain remains before brewing.)
Tackling sake’s labelling problem to make it more accessible to a greater number of potential consumers is one of Richard’s greatest triumphs. IWA 5 – Sake of Japan are the only words that you’ll see on the sleek blackish-brown designed bottle. Authentic to its place of origin (the Brewery is named ‘Shiraiwa’, or ‘white rock’, after the site of the rice paddy, whilst ‘Iwa’ means simply ‘rock’ in Japanese), and is easy to remember. “There’s beauty and power in simplicity,” Richard remarks.
Bottle Shock
Designed by famed Australian industrial designer Marc Newson, the IWA 5 bottle (above) is a work of art. The design encapsulates both the Japanese heritage underpinning the project, and the modernity sought by Richard. Who wouldn’t want a bottle of IWA 5 on their restaurant table or served to guests at their dinner party. “What is that?” enquired a fellow diner, who came up to my table at Oswald’s Private Members Club in Mayfair recently, where I bought a bottle to share with some friends. “Wow, it’s beautiful. Where can I buy it?” he pleaded.
The Kengo Effect
Equally beautiful is the brewery itself (the kura), designed by Japan’s top architect, Kengo Kuma. Richard knew Kengo from his Dom Pérignon days, and although the project they had worked on never came to fruition, he had always vowed to work with Kengo if the opportunity ever arose.
When the IWA project began, Richard had assumed that he would produce his sake at another brewery and, only once the product had proved successful, seek capital funding to build a kura. However, having realised that he needed a “blank piece of paper to achieve my vision”, Richard managed to convince his investors to fund the building of an architectural monument to sake in the remote region of Toyama.
Kengo Kuma’s design is stunning: modern and minimal, yet warm and homely. Every detail has been pondered and assessed for optimum aesthetics and efficiency. The Doma (the central pit that is the focal point for the kura) is a thing of beauty, surrounded by glass and boasting a countryside aspect on one side and fermentation tanks on the other. Even the walls, covered with ‘washi’ wallpaper inset with rice grains from surrounding rice paddies, are a wonder to behold.
With four bedrooms on-site, each positioned on the first floor next to rooms crucial for sake production, the kura is a living, breathing embodiment of comfortable living in the workspace. Most of Japan’s sake breweries were constructed after World War II, and were not designed with any thought for entertaining or receiving guests. In comparison, IWA’s kura, with its cutting-edge technology and architectural magnificence, must look like something out of Star Trek to anyone plying their trade in the sake industry.
Tasting the Four IWA Assemblages—Plus a Surprise
The Doma is utilised for every social interaction— staff meetings, press interviews, entertaining and, of course, tastings. To hold a vertical of IWA 5 is itself a remarkable experience, as the concept of unique blends had not existed before IWA.
IWA 5 is a Junmai Daiginjo, the Japanese equivalent of a Grand Cru—criteria for which include minimum polishing levels of at least 50 percent and no fortification. With Richard as my guide, we tasted each of the four Assemblages of IWA 5 (even though the 4eme Assemblage has yet to be released). There was also a surprise 5eme Assemblage that is not yet ready for bottling and, indeed, I was gratifyingly humbled to be the first person Richard had tasted it with.
Each of these Assemblages have their own unique signature. The 1er Assemblage was saline, with a wet rock mineral aroma, a firm mid-palate and a very long finish, and was my favourite of the tasting. The 2eme Assemblage was the one I found the least interesting as it gave me palate fatigue. The 3eme Assemblage had vinous aromas with a whiff of wood spice. The 4eme Assemblage effused tropical fruit notes and a perception of sweetness on the finish. The surprise 5eme Assemblage was quite yeasty and the driest on the finish.
Home Market Credibility
Scoring success in their home market is key to the viability of the whole project. “Everything we do, we try it in Japan first to see if it succeeds, and only then do we consider bringing it to the international market,” Richard tells me. “Japanese consumers are the Guardians of the Temple, so we’re particularly proud of the fact that 40 percent of our top line sales currently come from the domestic market.”
Being listed at many of the top Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto has helped build credibility for IWA. On my last night in Tokyo, I ordered a 2eme Assemblage of IWA 5 at Michelin 3-Star restaurant Kanda where Chef Hiroyuki Kanda grinned, proudly commenting: “It’s good, isn’t it?” IWA 5 is also one of the best-selling premium products in Tokyo’s airport high-end duty free stores. And, very recently, one of the two national airline carriers, ANA, has announced that IWA 5 will be served in their first-class cabins.
The deal with national airline ANA is just one of Richard’s recent accomplishments. IWA is endorsed by many of the world’s top chefs. Daniel Boulud, the New York-based French chef, is opening a new restaurant in the refurbished Tiffany boutique on 5th Avenue in New York, and has announced that he will be pairing dishes with IWA 5. Thomas Keller, one of America’s most acclaimed chefs, has proposed pairing IWA 5 with caviar dishes at The French Laundry, Per Se and his other fine dining establishments. These are not the sort of deals that start-up beverage companies are normally able to get across the line. In my experience, only globally recognised established brands like Dom Pérignon, Krug or Louis Roederer’s Cristal are able to elicit such interest from the stars of the culinary world.
IWA 5 is now listed at 130 Michelin-starred (including 40 Michelin 3-Star) restaurants globally. Of these Michelin-starred restaurants, more than 50 percent do not serve Japanese food, a unique achievement for a sake. All of these listings have been secured in the past eighteen months, an accolade few, if any, fine wines can claim.
IWA RESERVES
There have been a lot of rumours about IWA creating a new, more affordable alternative to IWA 5 (which retails at a pricey £130 per bottle in the UK and $180 in the USA). The highlight of my visit to the kura, though, was not to trial a new lower cost IWA, but to be the first to try the new top of the range (and yet to be released) IWA RESERVES. Bottled only in 1.8 litre Iishobins, and with the IWA logo embossed in black (rather than white) on the bottle, Richard has created his version of Dom Pérignon P3 (the top of the range, super expensive Third Plentitude champagne) in the world of sake.
IWA RESERVES is a blend of reserve (as in aged) sakes, a concept that does not exist in the category and cannot be compared with Koshu, the sometimes blackish coloured aged sake which I often find undrinkable. Richard intends to make RESERVES with at least five years of library stock. “I wanted to showcase the highest potential of IWA with RESERVES, a sake that has depth, complexity, energy and intensity,” he explains.
In a bizarre twist that only Richard could have dreamed up, whereas IWA 5 is designed to be a different expression from each year, the ultra-premium RESERVES will be made on a continuous rather than batch basis: in other words, it will remain essentially the same for each bottling.
‘On Another Level’
Tasting IWA RESERVES, my first impression was that—compared to IWA 5—it was on another level. It tastes expensive! RESERVES is a seriously complex drink. It has a profoundness and finish deserving of a top Burgundy white. It does not have the freshness of a new sake, but the evolution enhances rather than diminishes the energy and vibrancy of the sake. Most importantly, I wanted to drink more of it—the alcohol levels are a very respectable 15 percent ABV. “There’s less primary fruit, and more umami and tertiary notes, but no mushroom or obvious oxidation,” Richard effuses.
Unfortunately, for now, Richard has only made 1,000 Iishobins and there are no immediate plans to sell any. The unveiling of IWA RESERVES will take place in October at the 2023 Golden Vines® Awards in Paris, where it will be served with a dish especially paired by legendary chef, Alain Ducasse, and rising star, Akrame. “To be served at the Golden Vines®, the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’, is very exciting, but also risky as the fine wines being poured alongside us are truly world class,” he explains. “But I can’t wait for the challenge and to gauge the reaction of the guests. IWA has to keep breaking boundaries.”
IWA are indeed breaking boundaries, so much so that I asked Richard whether he even thinks comparisons with other sake producers are valid. Indeed, my impression is that IWA goes well beyond the sake category and should be more properly viewed as a super-premium new craft beverage that happens to be brewed in Japan. “We certainly don’t see other sake brands as our only competition,” Richard says. “We want our consumers to be choosing between a glass of IWA 5, Dom Pérignon or a 1er Cru Puligny-Montrachet. We can’t confine IWA to the sake arena alone. IWA must be the art of being true to sake without being a sake.”—the latest Richard-ism if ever there was one!
Building the next Casamigos?
No other sake has a legendary French winemaker behind it, or an innovative start-up mentality more comparable to Casamigos, the billion dollar tequila brand co-founded by Hollywood icon, George Clooney. IWA has an impressive list of investors supporting it, looking to create a new Dom Pérignon-like success story “All the investors – bar one – I have known for many years. They understood that IWA isn’t bound by the same issues that many fine winemakers are facing, such as climate change, vintage variation and limitation of grape supply”, Richard explained.
“In theory, we have access to as much rice as we want, and our only constraining factor is the capacity of the brewery. As a super premium product, there’s no reason why, as we grow production, we cannot be one of the most successful companies in the global beverage industry”.
“In It to Win It”
Richard has built an impressive, multi-talented team to help him and his investors achieve their ambition for the company. On the technical side, the team includes one of the most respected Toji (Master Brewers), Masato Yabuta, who previously worked at the Kenbishi Shuzo, Japan’s oldest brewery with more than 500 years of history. Richard positively swells with pride when discussing Yabuta, believing him to be the perfect contributor to achieve his vision for IWA.
On the business side, the team includes CEO Charles-Antoine Picart, who joined the corporate finance division of Moët Hennessy in Japan after graduating from Wharton, and then made his way through the Moët Hennessy’s ranks to become Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon Asia Pacific Director before departing for IWA. Indeed, most of the senior management positions at IWA are manned by Moët Hennessy alumni, including Julia Fitzroy, who runs IWA’s US operations from Napa, California.
Hailing from one of the oldest industries in Japan and making a product that has been in decades-long decline, IWA has dramatically bucked the trend. This is no mere retirement project for the 35-year old Dom Pérignon veteran. With Richard at the helm and an experienced technical and management team alongside him, as well as a blue-chip investor list providing the capital, there’s every reason to believe that IWA can reach Casamigos’ unicorn status. As Richard told me in all seriousness, “I am in it to win it.”
Lewis Chester DipWSET is a London-based wine collector, member of the Académie du Champagne and Chevaliers du Tastevin, co-founder of Liquid Icons and, along with Sasha Lushnikov, the founder of the Golden Vines® Awards. He is also Honorary President and Head of Fundraising at the Gérard Basset Foundation, which funds diversity & inclusivity education programmes globally in the wine, spirits & hospitality sectors.
The Golden Vines® 2023, recognising the world’s best fine wine estates as voted by hundreds of fine wine professionals, will take place in Paris between 13-15 October 2023. Please register your interest for tickets here. The Robb Report is the Official Media Partner of the Golden Vines® and sponsor of the Golden Vines® World’s Best Fine Wine Producer Award.
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