Kenjiro Kagami originally from Japan, moved to France in 2001. Trained as an engineer, but above all a wine lover, he enrolled in oenology studies in Chambolle-Musigny a year after his arrival. After graduating in 2004, he worked with Thierry Allemand in Cornas for a year. He then packed his bags for Alsace, where he trained with Bruno Schueller from 2005 to 2010. His desire to produce his own wine continued to grow, and with such mentors, a natural approach became the obvious choice.
In 2010, with the help of his friend Jean-François Ganevat, he settled in Grusse, a village in the Jura region, with his wife, Mayumi. His vineyards are actually right next to those of the Ganevat estate. Domaine des Miroirs was born… A fitting name for Kenjiro, as ‘kagami’ means mirror in Japanese.
The vines stretch over 3 hectares of slopes where the winemaker mainly grows Chardonnay (1.5 hectares) and Savagnin (1 hectare), as well as a little Trousseau (0.2 hectares) and Poulsard (0.4 hectares). Organic viticulture is the order of the day, with beautiful wildflowers growing between the rows of vines. In the winery, vinification is low-intervention, no sulphur is added, and the wines are aged in old casks for 4-5 years. Its many beautifully named wines are classified as Vin de France: Entre Deux Bleus Les saugettes (Between Two Blues); Ja Do, Ja Nai; I need the Sun; Entre Deux Bleus inné (Between Two Blues Innate); But I’m the only One; Sonorité du vent (Sound of the Wind); Mon rythme son rythme (My Rhythm, His Rhythm); Le Berceau (The Cradle); Les Prémices (The Beginnings) and Où est ce qu’on part On verra bien (Where Are We Going? We’ll See…). Some members of the iDealwine team have had the chance to taste these wines, and what struck them was their crystal-clear, refined aspect, their delicacy and their sublime length.
Domaine des Miroirs is undeniably one of the most sought-after estates in Jura, and its tiny production volume makes it very difficult to come by, especially since almost all (nearly 80%) of the wines are exported to Japan.