According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, sake shipments in the 2020 financial year totalled 410,000 kilolitres (110 million gallons), compared with 1.77 million kilolitres at its peak in 1973.

Geoffroy (right) in 2011, when he was the cellar master of Dom Pérignon, at his vineyard near the northern French town of Epernay. Photo: AFP
“When you love Japan, at some stage you will inevitably run into sake because it is part of the country’s identity,” Geoffroy says.

“Regardless of declining consumption, it’s in the genes of the people. There’s something archaic about it. Within the liquid universe there lies values, philosophies, aesthetics and a lifestyle about sake. It’s part of the DNA of Japan.”

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As with the wine of Grand Crus Classé top vineyards of Bordeaux, where vintages are single origin and the product is dependent on that year’s grapes, a sake’s quality depends on the rice harvested that year, and how it is refined.

Geoffroy’s sake, called IWA, is not identified by a specific rice variety, prefecture or polishing ratio as is the case with traditional sakes. Instead, it is a blend of three varieties of rice – Yamada Nishiki, Omachi and Gohyakumangoku – and is brewed with five strains of yeast instead of one.

Me coming to Japan was getting some attention. People were somewhat sceptical, but very respectful
Richard Geoffroy

Another element that Geoffroy fiddles with is ageing. Classic sake is usually consumed fresh, within nine to 12 months of production, but is often matured for six months to one year before bottling. Truly aged, or koshu, sake is still relatively niche. IWA is matured for at least 18 months right off the bat.

So how did the sake breweries feel about a Frenchman coming to Japan to do something as different as lengthy ageing and blending – or, as Geoffroy phrases it, making an “assemblage” – of sake?

Luckily for the Dom Pérignon alum, after almost 30 years of building relationships in the champagne-loving country, his reputation as chef de cave precedes him.

Geoffroy’s IWA 5 assemblage 3 sake. Photo: IWA

“Actually, there was a lot of buzz ahead of the launch. Me coming to Japan was getting some attention because we were making an assemblage.

“The comments were a bit reserved – sometimes there was a bit of doubt early on, which is fair because assemblage hasn’t been in the world of sake for 1,200 years. People were somewhat sceptical, but very respectful,” he says.

According to Geoffroy, at least 10 sake houses have released sake assemblages in the first few months of 2023 – which shows how well the concept of blending sake has been received since he started doing it in 2020.

A brewer tends to vats during the sake-making process at Geoffroy’s sake plant. Photo: IWA

“I’m so flattered. Assemblage is the ultimate French term for blending, and sake breweries are moving towards assemblage. So to me, this is the recognition,” he says.

In April, Geoffroy hosted a teppanyaki lunch in Hong Kong that was paired with IWA 5, or assemblage three, one of Geoffroy’s 2022 assemblage releases.

The menu featured all manner of ingredients and textures, from lobster to asparagus and steak to fried rice, and the IWA 5 worked well with the entire menu.

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This is a testament to the sake assemblage’s versatility compared with wine, which typically pairs well with only certain dishes and is resultantly switched out as different courses are served.

Geoffroy credits this flexible aspect of his sake to achieving balance during the creation process, something that he refined for decades at Dom Pérignon.

“That’s flex. That versatility, that capacity to pair with every single situation of food or no food, comes from balance, and balance comes from the assemblage. It’s that element which has been driving me to do it. It took me years to figure it out for certain and now I’m referring to IWA as a proof of concept.”

IWA 5 assemblage 3 is known for its versatility – it pairs well with many dishes. Photo: IWA

One advantage that sake has over wine is the temperature range at which it can be served.

Sake can be warmed up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or chilled to zero, with temperature making a big difference to a particular sake’s taste. It’s a theory Geoffroy played with while sampling Sichuan fare in Hong Kong, at Jing Alley in the city’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood.

“The food was so spicy that when we paired it with a chilled sake it was totally deconstructed and destroyed. Then, we paired the spicy food with sake at around 10 degrees Celsius and it was OK but I was not overwhelmed.

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“Then we poured the IWA 5 assemblage three warm, at around body temperature and it was out of this world. It has been one of my greatest experiences in the last three years.”

It seems that, as with the different assemblages, Geoffroy’s philosophy of playing with different temperatures and ages of sake creates for him an endless web of possibilities.

“I just find it overwhelming and thrilling at the same time that assemblage is somewhat universal,” he says. “Assemblage needs harmony, and harmony is universal.”