Sato

Central Otago, New Zealand

Sato is the Central Otago project of Yoshiaki Sato and his wife Kyoko, who left careers in international banking in Tokyo and London to pursue their passion for wine in New Zealand. After formal training in viticulture and winemaking, Yoshiaki honed his craft at Felton Road and Mount Edward before releasing his first vintage in 2009. Today, Sato works exclusively with organically grown fruit and farms his own chemical-free vineyard on Mt Pisa near Cromwell. Winemaking is minimalist and precise, with natural fermentations, no additives and only a small amount of sulfur at bottling. The resulting wines are pure, expressive and quietly powerful, reflecting both site and intent.