Domaine Nakajima

Domaine Nakajima is a small family-run natural winery in Tomi, Nagano, nestled in the Chikumagawa Wine Valley at 850 meters elevation. Founded in 2014 by Yutaka Nakajima, a former systems engineer turned winemaker, the estate farms 1.5 hectares of steep south-facing slopes by hand, producing just a few thousand bottles per year. Inspired by the Loire Valley and Jura, Nakajima works primarily with Cabernet Franc alongside Merlot, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc, with newer plantings of Savagnin and Pinot Noir on a second, higher-altitude vineyard established in 2019. The wines are fermented with wild yeast and bottled with minimal sulfite additions, reflecting a philosophy that great grapes, shaped by the stresses of their environment, naturally produce compelling wine.