This is a real wine mystery!
Let me be clear on this. This isn't a competition.
We're working together.
I know.
We both need to use both our fortes to identify these wines.
Then you should swap partners.
The young lady there knows little about wine
but has exceptionally strong senses, I believe.
Shizuku, you should work with her.
Good luck, Shizuku-san!
What about Miyabi-chan?
Young lady, you help Issei.
B-But I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as Tomine-san...
Which means you might notice things he misses.
That's how wine works. Right, Issei?
You're exactly right.
It'll be a pleasure.
P-Please, the pleasure's all mine!
Wow, I can't believe this!
If the famous wine critic Tomine-sensei
and the son of Kanzaki Yutaka-sensei appraise my wines,
I can proudly serve them to my customers.
Then I'll gladly hire Morishita-san to repair the Karuizawa carving.
Oh, thank you so much.
As an architect myself,
I'd hate to lose a wonderful Karuizawa carving like that.
I hope you guys can make this happen!
I'm sure that carving will make your restaurant a destination!
Let's get to work, then. Our time limit is three days.
It may sound like a lot, but it's not.
I'll stay here and sort the wines with Loulan-san.
What about you?
I want to start by taking a long look at these wines.
What their capsules are made of, the types of stamp used...
That will give us an idea of what we've got to start.
I'll take photos and match them against my database.
Please lend me a hand, Shinohara-san.
S-Sure!
You have a camera with you, I see.
I photograph the labels and capsules of all the wines I taste,
and put them into a database of my own.
Wonderful. I'm sure you'll make a fine sommelier.
Th-Thank you!
From here to here, these are all the same wine.
What's wrong?
The capsules have been cut.
You're right. Why, I wonder...
They were likely put up for auction.
Expensive wine is often counterfeited,
so this is to check the cork.
That means this wine must be pricey!
Most likely.
We can't look at the stamp.
But let's open a bottle to see what it is.
Petrus!
I've had an '82 before.
This is older, but it's definitely Petrus.
Issei let me try one from the 70s.
What do you think, sir?
I-Incredible!
You might really be able to identify all of the wines!
Indeed. And if these are all Petrus, then the collection is worth quite a lot.
If you list my name as the appraiser,
you'll be able to serve them even without their labels.
Really?!
But these wines are so old. If I serve spoiled wine at my restaurant...
That part, we shall leave to their talents.
They'll be able to sniff out and remove any spoiled wines, even corked.
Now, Shinohara-san, let's photograph any bottles we need
and head back to my hotel.
Okay!
And we can start identifying bottles by scent.
Yes.
First, we'll weed out anything spoiled,
and then for the great vintages, we can... What's it called? Cépage?
You want us to identify the exact blend of grapes used?
If we could do that, it would really narrow the potential list!
There are multiple bottles of each wine.
We can use the data we have on the capsules, bottles, and corks,
combined with their cépages and the state of the wines to identify them.
To finish, the four of us will taste them to narrow down the names of the wines.
I'll help with the tasting!
It'll be fun if all I have to do is drink!
Thank you. You'll be an incredible help.
You old bastard! You're only helping with the fun part!
Hey, be kind to your elders!
You young fool!
Well, if I guarantee them,
even the pickiest chateaux and domaines will send us new labels.
I-Is he that famous?
I don't want to believe it, but yes.
Anyway, let's get started!
That's the first third down.
At this rate, we'll be cutting it close.
You're right.
If we do the tasting on the final day,
we've only got two days to finish this.
That said, I need a quick break.
If I don't get some fresh air, my nose is gonna go on the fritz.
Yes.
When I was a kid, I always thought I'd be spending my summers here.
I never wanted to go back to Tokyo, where there'd be no pretty sunsets
and you can't see the stars.
The desert of my homeland was harsh,
but the setting sun and stars were always beautiful.
Yet when I saw them every day, I never really cared.
Did I say something funny?
No, I'm just impressed.
You're so open and expressive...
I'm sure you must be a great wine taster.
You'd make an excellent wine taster.
How beautiful...
It sure is.
I guess that's about all we can learn from the database.
Let's cross-reference this with the photos we took.
Yes.
Oh, this one is a Château Beychevelle, isn't it?
A '45, yes.
A superior Bordeaux vintage.
Wow. This collection is better than I thought!
Did I say something strange?
No, you're quite talented.
I'd honestly want you on my team.
Oh, no, I'm nothing...
I still have so much to learn.
Kanzaki-san.
What was Yutaka-sensei like?
Well...
He was a hard dad to understand.
Too hard for me when I was a kid.
If I were to compare him,
he was like a great Bordeaux vintage that refuses to meet its peak.
I always thought he was just so freaking stubborn!
I never did share a glass with him.
I see.
What were your parents like?
My father lived in the desert and died buried by its sands.
My mother taught me many things.
So much of what she taught me, I now find in wine...
And I really enjoy that these days.
I have nothing but gratitude for Issei for guiding me to the world of wine.
What about your mother, Kanzaki-san?
She was delicate. Easily hurt.
She was hurt, actually.
She died when I was little, though...
You're just like me.
But you don't look sad at all.
Issei has a mom and a little sister, but he looks so much lonelier.
A little sister?
Yes.
She's very pretty and knows a lot about wine.
I'm surprised, but I guess that makes sense.
Ah, crap! If we keep chatting, we're never gonna finish.
Hey, come on!
We can identify this one from the capsule, can't we?
Definitely. This is a Pape Clément.
Likely from the 60s, even.
How can you tell?
The color and wine level in the bottle say it's not from the 50s or 70s.
Which means, by process of elimination, it must be from the mid-60s.
So it's a valuable old vintage from a great chateau!
Correct.
But if it is a Pape Clément from that era,
the state of the wine will be dubious.
It'd be risky to serve to restaurant-goers.
Is something wrong?
Oh, no! I was just thinking that most people would gladly serve
an expensive old bottle from a famous chateau.
But you won't have it.
Your conviction when it comes to wine
is clearly that of a man who's dedicated his life to it.
It's amazing!
That reminds me... We haven't had dinner yet, have we?
Let's get room service in my room.
But...
Come with me.
A-A suite!
I ordered us some sandwiches so we can finish quickly.
Oh, thank you.
Here you are.
Your club sandwiches and your '86 Chateau Pape Clément.
W-Wine too?
And a Clément!
I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to try
the Pape Clément we were just discussing.
Go ahead. Have some.
The year 1986 was historic for Pape Clément.
They dramatically improved the quality of their wine.
It's a special vintage in which a famous chateau restored the power of its terroir.
It's so beautiful...
The Persian rug—the only art form in the world one is allowed to tread upon.
A piece by an unknown artist,
woven from the finest silk over the course of many years.
I-I'm afraid to step on it.
I shall be your guide.
We're nearly halfway there.
I'm starving!
Murakoshi-san brought us some bread and cheese.
That'd be great with some wine.
You're right.
Okay.
Let's take a bottle close to spoilage,
since they can't serve that at the restaurant.
Based on the scent escaping the cork...
Here.
This one.
What kind of wine is it?
I don't know enough about wine to tell yet.
I'm going to open it.
Careful, careful...
You're very good. Old corks are hard to work with.
My dad would have me uncork bottles like this all the time.
But my skills are nowhere near Tomine's.
He's amazing.
The more I learn about wine, the more I understand that.
But... I can't lose this battle.
Absolutely not.
The two of you seem different, but you're a lot alike.
You're like brothers.
Got it!
Get me a glass!
R-Right!
We need to hurry before it passes its peak.
Let's enjoy it as best we can.
Good work today!
I'll drink to that.
How is it?
Okay, at the same time.
One, two, three!
A Persian rug that's falling apart!
Ahem!
Two Days Later
Now, let's begin the tasting.
Well, we only brought the wines that both Loulan-san and I thought were perfect.
If you're looking to give credit,
I would prefer you said that only the wines that Shinohara-san and I
thoroughly examined are here on this table.
Murakoshi, you do the serving.
Of course.
Out of all those thousands of bottles,
only these survived.
No, there are dozens of bottles of each one,
which means roughly half the supply remains.
We were fortunate that it was long-lived French wine.
I've finished the pouring.
Shizuku-kun, I'm confident that I can identify
every wine here by tasting alone.
You may be able to intuit a wine's quality or the image it inspires,
but not its financial value.
Yeah, that's beyond me.
But I can hear the voices of all the thousands
of different types of wine simply by smelling them.
Can it, you little brats!
You think that impresses anyone?
With just a glance at their color and a sniff of these wines,
I can perfectly identify their maker, vintage, and true quality!
'Cause I've had all of these before!
That's how it is with wine.
Don't speak of it until you've tried it.
Damn it.
This is... a ballet?
The aftertaste is transforming beautifully...
This is...
Shizuku, how do you see this wine?
It reminds me of a classic ballet my dad once took me to in Paris, La Bayadère.
A beautiful performance that was a fusion
of Eastern exoticism and the elegance of traditional European dance.
You always describe wine in the most fascinating ways!
Do I?
And what about you, Issei?
If Shizuku-kun's description of this wine is accurate,
it can only be one thing...
A Château La Lagune.
Most likely the '70 vintage.
We might've dug up a real treasure, then!
Indeed. This La Lagune is merely the tip of the iceberg.
There are dozens of others.
Put together, you'd have more than enough money
to repair all the Karuizawa carvings in this old dump.
It's going to work out, Morishita-san!
I'm so happy for you!
You'll be able to repay your debts!
Thank you.
Thank you, everyone!
Now, I'm off to go pheasant hunting.
Robert-sensei...
I can't thank you enough.
I never thought I'd see the day when the two of them
shared a glass of wine together, and not as foes.
This is just a glimmer of a dream, courtesy of wine.
Tomorrow, the brothers will be forced
to do battle with each other once again.
That is their destiny.
Man, that was great!
We ended up having a big old party last night.
Talk about a blast.
Shinohara-san, I value your talent and efforts highly.
This appraisal proved worthwhile for me,
as it allowed me to learn about you.
If you would like to join my staff,
I can promise you a good position.
Heya!
You're up early, Miyabi-chan,
given how much we drank last night.
Y-Yeah, I woke up bright and early.
Well, we got my dad's wine back,
and I'm sure this'll help get Morishita-san out of debt.
Yeah.
I guess it all worked out for the best.
You don't look happy about it.
Th-That's not true.
I hope so.
Have you had breakfast?
Mine was great.
I'll have them whip something up for me.
Here you are, Young Master Shizuku.
Aw, don't call me that, Misuzu-san.
Apologies.
Oh, blueberry jam!
I always loved this stuff.
It's made from wild blueberries.
I picked these this morning. Would you like some?
They're rich in flavor and just delicious on their own.
Thanks!
They're a little tart,
but you get that mineral flavor.
You're right.
If you've been enjoying stuff like this since you were a kid,
it's no wonder your palate and nose are so refined.
I don't know.
If I'm a blueberry cultivated by my dad,
then this wild blueberry is...
Loulan-san?
She grew up in a barren desert,
but her senses of taste and smell are incredible.
As is her ability to describe them.
Shizuku-san, do you think you might have to go up against Loulan-san someday?
I mean...
She's part of Tomine-san's staff, so she's on the other team, right?
I see.
Maybe you're right.
But, you know, I'm not alone either!
I've got you, Miyabi-chan.
There's still so much I have to learn from you.
I'm gonna keep counting on you.
Yeah.
The party last night was ridiculous,
but it was worth it to taste so many well-preserved wines of such quality.
I'm sure you learned a lot, Loulan.
Truly, I did.
When we'd first met, you would've said "yeah" and not "truly."
Indeed...
You were like these wild blueberries here,
but now you're like this jam.
It's made from wild blueberries, but its flavor has been refined
to the point it could be served at the finest hotels.
Does that upset you?
That's just who I want you to be.
This jam is refined, but has a wild complexity and depth.
When two things make up for each other's shortcomings,
that is the path to true art.
I need you. And you need me.
Right...
Heya! We're back!
Kanzaki, you bastard!
Where the hell have you been?!
You and the signorina were off on another vacation!
Where did you go?! Out with it!
No, no, no!
We were handling a problem.
I know, look! We brought you a present!
How kind of you!
It's a Nagano wine that's very "in" right now!
Let's open it at once!
Honma-kun, we have a meeting in an hour.
Go easy now.
S-Sir!
And you, Kanzaki-kun... This arrived for you.
Here we are.
Don't you find Mt. Fuji beautiful in the summer, Ms. Kiryu?
Yes.
Yutaka-sensei specifically requested this battle to take place here at this villa.
I wonder why.
He almost never used it.
But he did use it.
He simply chose to use it with very select individuals.
You don't mean...
He was a sinful man...
Weren't you, Yutaka?