Eishi Okamoto

Eishi Okamoto, a former archaeologist, is the owner of a little 3-hectare estate in the upper Yamanashi valley since 1999. The name of the estate is French, an indication of his respect and love for this land of wine: Beau Paysage (literally, ‘beautiful landscape’)! It’s also a description of his estate’s magnificent backdrop – for when Eishi lifts his head from his vines for a moment, it’s Mount Fuji he beholds. The wines of Eishi have reached a level of such quality that they are now sold before they've even been made, and the extremely rare bottles that are exported are instantly snapped up (36 bottles of each cuvée are allotted for all of France, for example). Eishi is wholly dedicated to his vines and must contend with a hot, humid climate and considerable rain. He manages his vines without ploughing, in an effort to preserve the microbial life in the soil. Eishi was trained by the late Asai Usuke, Japan's most legendary vigneron... the Japanese Jules Chauvet. Eishi has proved himself a worthy apprentice, in the respectful, perfectionist, even ceremonial approach he takes in his work every day. For those lucky enough to get the chance to taste these wines, one shouldn’t do so out of a simple curiosity for the exotic, but rather with respect andsolemnity – because there may not be a second chance!