在法國Alsace這片歷史悠久、傳統深厚的葡萄酒產區，近年來出現了一個備受矚目的名字——Domaine Yura。這座酒莊的創辦人 Jintaro Yura（良仁太郎），並非出生於世代相傳的法國釀酒家族，而是一位來自日本東京的青年。他的故事，從銀座的法式餐廳開始，跨越了紐西蘭的葡萄園，最終在阿爾薩斯的石灰岩風土上生根發芽。他以日本工匠般的精準與細膩，重新詮釋了阿爾薩斯的經典品種，釀造出純淨、平衡且充滿Umami的葡萄酒。今日就試下探討 Jintaro Yura 獨特的崛起之路，剖析他融合科學與直覺的釀酒哲學，並深入探究那些讓他在阿爾薩斯脫穎而出的特定酒款與鮮為人知的釀酒細節。
In Alsace — a wine region steeped in centuries of history and deeply entrenched tradition — a name has quietly begun to command attention: Domaine Yura. Its founder, Jintaro Yura, was not born into a French winemaking dynasty. He is a young man from Tokyo who began his journey in a Ginza fine-dining restaurant, passed through the vineyards of New Zealand, and ultimately put down roots in the limestone terroir of Alsace. With the precision and discipline of a Japanese craftsman, he has reimagined the region's classic grape varieties, producing wines of purity, balance, and a distinctly savory depth — what the Japanese call umami.
This article traces Jintaro Yura's singular path, dissects his philosophy of winemaking that fuses scientific rigour with intuitive elegance, and explores the specific cuvées and lesser-known technical details that set him apart in Alsace.
第一章：從東京銀座到Alsace的石灰岩丘陵
Chapter 1: From Ginza, Tokyo to the Limestone Hills of Alsace
Jintaro Yura 的葡萄酒啟蒙，源於他的家庭背景。他的父親在東京銀座的一家老字號法國餐廳擔任總經理，這讓 Jintaro 從小就沉浸在法國文化、美食與葡萄酒的世界中 。在擔任侍酒師的過程中，他對葡萄酒的熱情逐漸超越了服務層面，轉而渴望親手釀造葡萄酒。為此，他進入了東京生物科技專門學校（Tokyo Biotechnology College）攻讀釀造與發酵課程，打下了扎實的微生物學與生化學基礎 。
他的學術與實踐旅程充滿了國際視野。2012 年，Jintaro 離開日本，前往紐西蘭坎特伯雷（Canterbury）的 Waipara 產區，在日籍釀酒師 Takahiro Koyama（小山龍浩）的 Koyama Wines 實習，在那裡他深入學習了生物學與釀酒技術 。隨後，他還曾在日本山梨縣的 Diamond Winery 以及法國布根地（Burgundy）進行實習。
然而，真正讓他找到歸屬感的地方，是法國的Alsace。在Alsace，他先後在著名的 Domaine Josmeyer 和 Domaine Hurst 擔任學徒，並在這裡度過了長達 10 年的時光 。在 Josmeyer 的經歷對他影響深遠，他不僅精進了法語，更深入了解了Biodynamics的精髓，以及Alsace多樣化的風土與葡萄品種 。最終，在 Domaine Gross 的 Vincent Gross 的幫助下，Jintaro 於 2020 年正式創立了 Domaine Yura，並在借來的酒窖中釀造出了他的第一個年份 。
Jintaro Yura's initiation into wine was inseparable from his family. His father served as the general manager of a long-established French restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, immersing Jintaro from an early age in French culture, gastronomy, and wine . Working as a sommelier, his passion gradually shifted from serving wine to making it. He enrolled at the Tokyo Biotechnology College to study fermentation and brewing, building a rigorous foundation in microbiology and biochemistry .
His training was genuinely international in scope. In 2012, Jintaro left Japan for Waipara in Canterbury, New Zealand, where he apprenticed at Koyama Wines under Japanese winemaker Takahiro Koyama — an experience that deepened his understanding of biology and winemaking . He also completed stints at Diamond Winery in Yamanashi, Japan, and in Burgundy, France.
Yet it was Alsace that ultimately claimed him. He joined the celebrated Domaine Josmeyer and later Domaine Hurst, spending a full decade absorbing the region's craft . His years at Josmeyer were particularly formative: he became fluent in French, immersed himself in biodynamic philosophy, and developed an intimate understanding of Alsace's extraordinary geological diversity and its native grape varieties . In 2020, with the crucial support of Vincent Gross of Domaine Gross, Jintaro officially founded Domaine Yura, producing his debut vintage in a borrowed cellar.
第二章：融合科學與「侘寂」的釀酒哲學
Chapter 2: A Winemaking Philosophy That Fuses Science with Wabi-Sabi
要理解 Domaine Yura 的葡萄酒，就必須理解 Jintaro Yura 融合了日本精準度與Alsace風土的獨特哲學。他的釀酒方法既有科學的客觀性，又充滿了對自然平衡的直覺追求。
即使在自然酒的領域中，Jintaro 的技術也顯得與眾不同。他深信葡萄酒的美味在於香氣、酸度與Umami之間的微妙平衡。他認為，當強烈的風味被巧妙地收斂時，鮮味反而能更清晰地展現出來 。在酒窖裡，Jintaro 的方法以極度的耐心與創新的實驗精神為標誌。他的哲學與鮮為人知的技術細節可以總結如下：
追求純淨與平衡的早採收
在Alsace，傳統的觀念往往傾向於讓葡萄達到極致的成熟度，以釀造出濃郁、複雜的葡萄酒。然而，Jintaro 卻選擇了一條不同的道路。他傾向於比當地其他酒農更早進行採收，以保留葡萄天然的酸度與新鮮感 。這種做法雖然曾讓他被周圍的人視為「怪人」，甚至被前輩善意地提醒「採收得太早了」，但他依然堅持自己的風格，追求純淨、精準且不過度萃取的果實表現。
獨特的酸度管理與攪桶技術
Jintaro 對酸度的管理有著獨到的見解。他特別注重酒石酸（Tartaric acid）與蘋果酸（Malic acid）的比例，致力於達到 75:25 的完美平衡，以此賦予葡萄酒充滿活力的能量感 。此外，他經常在白酒的陳釀過程中使用攪桶（Bâtonnage）技術。這項技術在布根地較為常見，但在Alsace卻相對罕見。Jintaro 透過攪桶讓酒液與酒泥（Lees）充分接觸，從而增加葡萄酒的質地與豐富的口感，完美平衡了高酸度帶來的銳利感 。
創新容器的實驗：從陶瓷到玻璃
Jintaro 不斷探索不同材質的容器對葡萄酒陳釀的影響。除了傳統的不鏽鋼槽和舊橡木桶（如 500 公升的 Demi-muids）外，他還大膽引入了義大利製造的 Clayver 陶瓷容器 。他認為陶瓷容器能發揮介於不鏽鋼與橡木桶之間的作用，既能保留果實的清新，又能帶來微氧化的複雜度。更有趣的是，受到布根地名莊 Arnaud Ente 的啟發，Jintaro 目前正在實驗使用玻璃容器（Wine Globe）進行陳釀，期望能將葡萄酒與氧氣的接觸降至最低，打造出極致純淨的「神之領域」葡萄酒 。
To understand the wines of Domaine Yura, one must understand the philosophy that underpins them — a rare synthesis of Japanese precision and Alsatian terroir. Jintaro's approach is simultaneously objective and scientific, yet guided by a deeply intuitive sense of natural balance.
Even within the natural wine world, his techniques stand apart. He believes that the pleasure of wine lies in the delicate equilibrium between aroma, acidity, and umami. As he sees it, savouriness becomes most perceptible when stronger flavours are gently subdued — much like the way sushi rice softens the intensity of raw fish, allowing the subtle flavours to emerge .
In the cellar, Jintaro's work is defined by patience, precision, and a restless spirit of experimentation. His philosophy, and the lesser-known technical details that embody it, can be understood through the following pillars:
Early Harvesting in Pursuit of Purity
In Alsace, conventional wisdom has long favoured pushing grapes to peak ripeness, yielding rich, concentrated wines. Jintaro has deliberately chosen a different path. He harvests earlier than virtually any other producer in the region, preserving the grapes' natural acidity and freshness . This practice has earned him a reputation as an eccentric among his neighbours — even his former mentor at Josmeyer reportedly still chides him, saying his harvest is "too early." Yet Jintaro remains unmoved, steadfastly pursuing a style of purity and precision that refuses to over-extract.
Bâtonnage and a Precise Acid Balance
Jintaro's approach to acidity management is equally distinctive. He targets a specific ratio of tartaric to malic acid — 75:25 — to give his wines a vibrant, electric energy . He also regularly employs bâtonnage (lees stirring) during the ageing of his white wines. While this technique is commonplace in Burgundy, it is relatively rare in Alsace. By keeping the wine in contact with its lees, Jintaro builds texture and a silky richness that beautifully counterbalances the wines' inherent acidity.
Experimental Vessels: From Ceramic to Glass
Jintaro is in constant dialogue with his materials. Beyond traditional stainless steel tanks and old oak barrels (primarily 500-litre demi-muids), he has introduced Italian-made Clayver ceramic vessels into his cellar . He describes ceramic as occupying a middle ground between steel and oak — preserving freshness while allowing a degree of micro-oxygenation that adds complexity. More intriguingly still, inspired by the legendary Burgundy producer Arnaud Ente, Jintaro is currently experimenting with glass Wine Globe containers, which reduce oxygen contact to near zero, in pursuit of a wine of almost supernatural purity.
第三章：酒款系列：精準與優雅的大師級演繹
Chapter 3: The Portfolio — Precision and Elegance in Three Cuvées
Domaine Yura 目前的產量極為稀少，但每一款酒都展現了 Jintaro 對品質的毫不妥協。他目前主要從相熟的有機農家購買葡萄，並專注於石灰岩與黏土風土的表現。
他的酒款命名充滿了詩意與隱喻，反映了他對自然與釀酒過程的深刻思考。
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酒款名稱
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葡萄品種
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釀造與陳釀特色
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風味特徵與隱喻
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L'Abeille et le Papillon (蜂與蝶)
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Pinot Blanc (常混釀 Auxerrois)
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不鏽鋼槽與新舊 Demi-muids 橡木桶混合陳釀
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展現柑橘、蘋果的純淨與微苦的尾韻。名字隱喻了不鏽鋼（蜂）的直線感與橡木桶（蝶）的圓潤感之間的完美融合 。
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Le Silence et La Résonance (靜謐與共鳴)
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Riesling
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不鏽鋼槽、新橡木桶與陶瓷容器 (Clayver) 混合陳釀
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帶有葡萄柚、白花與微鹹的礦物感。名字象徵了 Riesling 在口中靜謐的張力與尾韻中悠長共鳴的能量 。
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La Partie et Le Tout (部分與整體)
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Pinot Noir
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50% 至 70% 帶梗發酵，Demi-muids 橡木桶陳釀
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展現純淨的紅漿果、梅子與細緻的煙燻氣息。名字代表了除梗果實與帶梗發酵酒液混合後的整體和諧 。
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Domaine Yura's production remains exquisitely small, but each wine is a precise and uncompromising expression of Jintaro's vision. He sources exclusively from trusted organic growers on clay and limestone soils, and vinifies each parcel separately before blending.
His cuvée names are rich with metaphor and poetry, reflecting his deep contemplation of the relationship between winemaking and the natural world.
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Cuvée
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Grape Variety
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Vinification & Ageing
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Flavour Profile & Symbolism
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L'Abeille et le Papillon (The Bee and the Butterfly)
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Pinot Blanc (often blended with Auxerrois)
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Combination of stainless steel and new/used demi-muid barrels
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Citrus, apple, and a pleasant bitter finish. The name is a dual metaphor: the straight bee represents the linearity of stainless steel; the soft butterfly, the roundness of oak. The blend of Pinot Blanc's crispness and Auxerrois's softness is also encoded in the name .
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Le Silence et La Résonance (Silence and Resonance)
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Riesling
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Stainless steel, new oak, and Clayver ceramic vessels
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Grapefruit, white blossom, and a chalky, saline minerality. The name evokes the taut, meditative stillness of Riesling on the palate and the long, reverberating energy of its finish .
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La Partie et Le Tout (The Part and the Whole)
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Pinot Noir
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50–70% whole-cluster fermentation; aged in demi-muid barrels
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Pure red berries, Japanese plum (ume), and a subtle smokiness. The name reflects the blending of destemmed and whole-cluster fermented portions into a harmonious whole .
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結論：跨越國界的風土詮釋者
Conclusion: A Terroir Interpreter Who Crossed Borders
Jintaro Yura 在Alsace的成功，證明了熱情與專業知識可以跨越國界與傳統的藩籬。他 2020 年的首個年份僅生產了 2000 瓶，卻在發售當日即告售罄 ，這不僅是因為他作為「Alsace首位日籍釀酒師」的話題性，更是因為他葡萄酒中那份令人無法忽視的純淨與品質。
在一個常常被傳統定義的產區，Domaine Yura 像一股清新的微風。Jintaro 並沒有試圖複製阿爾薩斯的傳統，而是以他獨特的日本視角、扎實的科學背景以及對完美的執著，重新詮釋了這片土地。他證明了，有時候，對一個地方最深刻的表達，來自那些從遠方走來、用心去傾聽土地聲音的人。
Jintaro Yura's success in Alsace is a testament to the power of passion, scientific rigour, and the willingness to challenge convention. His debut 2020 vintage — a mere 2,000 bottles — sold out on the day of release . That achievement was not simply the result of novelty, nor the curiosity surrounding Alsace's first Japanese producer. It was the undeniable quality in the glass: wines of crystalline purity, vibrant energy, and a savouriness that made them irresistible companions at the table.
In a region so often defined by its traditions, Domaine Yura stands as a quiet but compelling counterpoint. Jintaro has not attempted to replicate Alsace's past. Instead, armed with a Japanese craftsman's eye for detail, a scientist's analytical mind, and an outsider's freedom to experiment, he has offered a fresh and deeply personal interpretation of this ancient land.
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