TOKYO — A full-bodied red wine from Katashimo winery in Japan, Geisha Neko 2016 is the first private label release from the dekantā Japanese Wine cellar.

Having launched an inaugural selection of 40 Japanese red wines in February 2018, Japanese whisky and wine specialists dekantā have introduced a new line of independently bottled wines, starting with a red wine from the Katashimo winery with an illustrated label influenced by Japanese cultural history.

Geisha Neko 2016 is a full-bodied dry Japanese red wine from Katashimo, one of the few wineries remaining in Osaka, and one that still maintains conventional winemaking methods to produce wine that that suits the Japanese taste. This release marries the sweet berry fragrance of Muscat Bailey A with the smoothness of Merlot. Muscat Bailey A is a hybrid variety of the Bailey grape and the Muscat Hamburg, a domestically grown grape designed to withstand extremes of the Japanese climate.

The illustrated label depicts the character of the cat geisha, ‘Geisha Neko’, a reference to the way in which ukiyo-e artists of the Japanese Edo period used anthropomorphised animal characters to bypass censorship laws and continue preserve freedom of expression. Famous courtesans, geishas and stars of Kabuki theatre were often depicted as animal characters in social and political art, in which visual clues were used to hint at the true identity of the subject.

“We wanted our first private label release to embody all that is unique about Japanese wine production,” said dekantā Director Makiyo Masa. “The alluring cat geisha presents this characteristically Japanese wine of Katashimo distillery beautifully, as a delightfully subversive luxury.”

From locally cultivated grape varieties to global varieties domestically grown, the dekantā cellar is a curated selection showcasing the best of red wine produce from across Japan. Several are winners of international awards; many are chosen to spotlight smaller, upcoming wine producers; all have been hand-selected for quality and their place in the origin story of Japanese wine.

Tasting Notes:
Rich and full-bodied, the Geisha Neko 2016 is bursting with notes of red and black fruit, including strawberries, blackberries, and plums. The palate delivers some dry spice and liquorice, before a gentle dryness comes in on the finish, delivered with a full and satisfying mouth feel.

Geisha Neko 2016 and other Japanese wines are available for worldwide delivery from the dekantā cellar.

Notes to Editors:
dekantā Founder Makiyo Masa is available for interview. Please RSVP to arrange, Miriam Rune: miriam@dekanta.com / +44 7740 339 628.
dekantā News Room: https://dekanta.com/press/
Press library: https://dekanta.com/press-library/

About dekantā
dekantā offers the world’s largest online selection of authentic Japanese spirits and, since the opening of its online store in 2015, has delivered to 127 countries across every continent in the world. A family owned and run business, dekantā’s founders have been selling collectibles since 1985 and specialize in rare, collectible, and new release single malt Japanese whisky. dekantā offers worldwide delivery on an extensive range of Japanese single malt whisky, Japanese grain whisky and Japanese blended whisky, in addition to Scottish whisky released for the Japanese market only.

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