Hiroshi Sato – Domaine Mont (Nagano Prefecture)

Hiroshi Sato’s Domaine Mont is a small but influential producer based in the foothills of Nagano’s Japanese Alps. Trained in France and New Zealand, Sato returned to Japan determined to work naturally, in harmony with mountain ecosystems.
His vineyards are farmed organically, without herbicides or systemic chemicals, and are surrounded by forest to preserve biodiversity. Fermentations use only indigenous yeast, and sulfur is minimal or omitted entirely.
Domaine Mont produces delicate yet structured wines—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and experimental blends—that balance Japanese finesse with Burgundian sensibility. Sato’s focus on terroir purity and slow craftsmanship reflects the thoughtful maturity of Japan’s new natural wine movement.

Key Details

  • Location: Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan. Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost main island, offering a cold maritime climate suitable for Vitis vinifera varieties. The vineyard is in the Nobori area, near the influential Domaine Takahiko.

  • Owner/Winemaker: Atsuo Yamanaka. Yamanaka founded the winery in 2016 after training with Takahiko Soga of Domaine Takahiko for two years. His background is in the tea trade, and he draws parallels between the delicate, complex flavors and "umami" character of his Pinot Gris wines and Japanese teas. The name "Mont" is a play on words, as "Yama" in his surname Yamanaka also means "mountain" in Japanese.

  • Key Grape Variety: Pinot Gris (known as Grauburgunder in Germany or Pinot Grigio in Italy). His flagship wine, Dom Gris, is made exclusively from the estate's organically farmed Pinot Gris.

  • Winemaking Philosophy: Atsuo Yamanaka is committed to organic farming (the vineyard is certified organic by JAS standards) and uses natural winemaking techniques. This includes:

    • Farming with an emphasis on biodiversity and minimal environmental impact.

    • Avoiding pesticides and insecticides, respecting insects as carriers of wild yeast.

    • Using wild yeast for fermentation.

    • Minimal intervention in the cellar, with the wine being bottled without fining, filtering, or sulfur addition.

    • He also takes labor-intensive measures to protect his vines from the bitterly cold Hokkaido winters, such as dismounting the vines from the trellising and laying them flat on the ground.