Mille Beaute
A humble grower on the northern slopes of Komoro.
Founded 2016
Komoro, Nagano Prefecture
Varieties planted
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
The People
Mille Beauté is French for “thousand beauties” - a thought that the owner and winemaker, Yasushi Nakane, tries to convey through his wines. Nakane-san used to be a public school teacher in his native Saitama prefecture, and retired early to move closer to nature and embark on his winemaking journey. Mille Beauté doesn’t have their own winery, and as of 2023, their wines are vinified at the famed Komoro winery Terre de Ciel.
Mille Beauté’s wines show immense maturity, which is in part attributable to the time spent by Nakane-san studying at the Chikumagawa Wine Academy.
The Land
Like many vineyards in Japan, the soil here is composed predominantly of clay. There's also some volcanic ash mixed in, owing to the still-active Mount Asama to the northeast.
Being just east of Tomi, this area also enjoys similarly low rainfall, and the being situated over 800m AMSL also contributes to cooler temperatures and a large diurnal range.
The Wine
A unique feature of Mille Beaute's portfolio is that it's made up entirely of single-varietal wines.
From their broad-shouldered Cabernet Franc to their racy Sauvignon Blanc, each varietal authentically expresses the cool climate of Mille Beaute's vineyards high up in the hills of Komoro.
As Nakane-san is exclusively a grape grower, these wines are made at the famed Terre de Ciel, also in Komoro.
