Champagne legend scores hit in Japan with blended sake
Frenchman Richard Geoffroy is harnessing his talent to change traditional way drink is made
It’s been five years since Richard Geoffroy retired from Dom Perignon, and he’s having the time of his life, very much unretired, making sake in Japan.
During his 28-year tenure as chef de cave of the brand, Geoffroy was in charge of the entire champagne-making process, and was responsible for the distinct taste and character of Dom Perignon.
Though he achieved legendary status in the world of champagne, he was not satisfied. He started to notice a niche that hadn’t been explored: sake. But he was concerned with its decline.
According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, sake shipments in the 2020 financial year totalled 410,000 kilolitres, compared with 1.77 million kilolitres at its peak in 1973.
“When you love Japan, at some stage you will inevitably run into sake because it is part of the country’s identity,” Geoffroy says.
“In the liquid universe there lies values, philosophies, aesthetics and a lifestyle about sake. It’s part of the DNA of Japan.”
An ageing population, stagnant economy and younger generation who aren’t drinking as much alcohol are said to be the contributing factors to the gradual decline of sake consumption. But Geoffroy saw an opportunity.
As with the wine of Grand Crus Classé top vineyards of Bordeaux, where vintages are single origin and the product is dependent on that year’s grapes, a sake’s quality depends on the rice harvested that year, and how it is refined.
Geoffroy’s sake, called IWA, is not identified by a specific rice variety, prefecture or polishing ratio as is the case with traditional sakes. Instead, it is a blend of three varieties of rice and is brewed with five strains of yeast instead of one.
Another element that Geoffroy fiddles with is ageing. Classic sake is usually consumed fresh, within nine to 12 months of production, but is often matured for six months to one year before bottling. IWA is matured for at least 18 months right off the bat.
So how did the sake breweries feel about a Frenchman coming to Japan to do something as different as long ageing and blending – or, as Geoffroy phrases it, making an “assemblage” – of sake?
Luckily for the Dom Perignon alum, after almost 30 years of building relationships in the champagne-loving country, his reputation as chef de cave precedes him.
“The comments were a bit reserved – sometimes there was a bit of doubt early on, which is fair because assemblage hasn’t been in the world of sake for 1,200 years. People were somewhat sceptical, but very respectful,” he says.
According to Geoffroy, at least 10 sake houses have released sake assemblages in the first few months of 2023 – which shows how well the concept of blending sake has been received since he started doing it in 2020.
In April, Geoffroy hosted a teppanyaki lunch in Hong Kong that was paired with IWA 5, or assemblage three, one of his 2022 assemblage releases.
The menu featured all manner of ingredients and textures, from lobster to asparagus and steak to fried rice, and the IWA 5 worked well with the entire menu.
Geoffroy credits this flexible aspect of his sake to achieving balance during the creation process, something that he refined for decades at Dom Perignon.
That capacity to pair with every single situation of food or no food, comes from balance
RICHARD GEOFFROY, IWA
“That capacity to pair with every single situation of food or no food, comes from balance. It took me years to figure it out for certain and now I’m referring to IWA as a proof of concept.”
One advantage that sake has over wine is the temperature range at which it can be served.
Sake can be warmed up to 40 degrees Celsius or chilled to zero, with temperature making a big difference to a particular sake’s taste. It’s a theory Geoffroy played with while sampling Sichuan fare.
“The food was so spicy that when we paired it with a chilled sake it was totally deconstructed and destroyed. Then, we paired the spicy food with sake at around 10 degrees Celsius and it was OK but I was not overwhelmed.
“Then we poured the IWA 5 assemblage three warm, at around body temperature and it was out of this world. It has been one of my greatest experiences in the last three years.”