Highlights
Toast to International Ties: Freeman Wines Featured at State Department
On Thursday, April 11, 2024, we had the honor of presenting our wines during a luncheon at the State Department, hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris to celebrate the visit of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. Esteemed attendees included Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Featured wines were the 2022 Ryo-Fu West Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and the 2021 Akiko's Cuvee West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, both of which paired exquisitely with the seasonal menu, enhancing the culinary experience.
This prestigious event was not only a profound honor but also a testament to the deep cultural ties between the United States and Japan. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a significant occasion and look forward to fostering further connections through our shared appreciation for fine wine.
Historic Award for Akiko Freeman: The Green & White Medal for Agricultural Excellence
Akiko Freeman was recently honored with the Green & White Medal for Agricultural Excellence, becoming the first woman ever to receive this prestigious accolade. The ceremony, held at the Japanese Consul General’s residence in Los Angeles, recognized her for being the first Japanese winemaker with a wine served at the White House and her transformative approach to organic farming. Shinkichki Koyama, who presented the award, said of Akiko, “She worked very hard to achieve the best growing conditions on the property — irrigation, ensuring that the soil was well-drained and well-oxygenated — all with the long-term vision to produce better grapes under organic farming protocols.” Her efforts have significantly contributed to the agriculture sector, reinforcing Japan-USA relations. This milestone achievement underscores Akiko's pioneering role in the field.
We are honored that the White House featured our Ryo-fu Chardonnay at a recent State Dinner welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the United States.
LE.PAN: The small Sonoma winery with Asian ambitions; “We don’t manipulate anything. We just try to grow the best fruit and bring out the best of it. That’s our philosophy.”
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Bloomberg Luxury
Japanese Winemakers Are Redefining What Makes a Top Pinot Noir
In this in-depth Bloomberg Pursuits article, wine writer Elin McCoy explores how Japanese and Japanese American winemakers are bringing a distinctive sensibility to the world of Pinot Noir. Akiko Freeman, co-founder and winemaker at Freeman Winery, is featured prominently among this emerging group. McCoy describes how Akiko’s early exposure to kodo—the traditional Japanese art of appreciating incense—influences her emphasis on aroma, nuance, and subtlety in winemaking. The article also introduces readers to Akiko’s associate winemaker, Eiji Akaboshi, whose Japanese heritage and family history tie directly to California’s early wine history. Together, they craft elegant wines that reflect both place and philosophy. McCoy singles out the 2021 Yu-Ki Estate Pinot Noir as a prime example, noting its bright fruit character and layers of mushroom, earth, and savory depth—qualities that make it Akiko’s favorite pairing with Japanese cuisine. |
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Freeman’s Yu-Ki Estate Pinot Noir Named One of the World’s Best
February 2025
We are thrilled to announce that Freeman Winery’s Yu-Ki Estate Pinot Noir 2021 has been selected for the prestigious World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection 2025. This recognition highlights our commitment to crafting elegant, terroir-driven wines that showcase the unique character of the West Sonoma Coast. The World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection is an exclusive list curated by top sommeliers from around the globe, celebrating wines that exemplify excellence in craftsmanship, balance, and expression of place. We are honored that our Yu-Ki Estate Pinot Noir 2021 has earned a place among this elite group. Perched at 1,200 feet above sea level, the Yu-Ki Estate Vineyard benefits from cool Pacific breezes, diverse volcanic soils, and sustainable farming practices, producing a Pinot Noir that is vibrant, complex, and deeply expressive. The 2021 vintage delivers layers of ripe red berries, forest floor, and elegant minerality, making it a standout selection for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Read more about this prestigious recognition and discover why the Yu-Ki Estate Pinot Noir 2021 continues to captivate wine lovers worldwide. |
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Food & Wine
Meet the New Generation of Japanese Winemakers in California
Freeman Vineyard & Winery is honored to be featured in Food & Wine's article, “Meet the New Generation of Japanese Winemakers in California.” The piece highlights the inspiring journeys of our winemaker and proprietor, Akiko Freeman, and associate winemaker, Eiji Akaboshi. Akiko's Tokyo roots and passion for precision have shaped Freeman’s award-winning wines, while Eiji draws on a remarkable family legacy—tracing back to Kanae Nagasawa, one of California’s pioneering Japanese winemakers. Together, they bring a shared commitment to bridging cultures through exceptional craftsmanship, as seen in wines like our Ryo-Fu Chardonnay and Yu-Ki Pinot Noir. |
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Club Oenologique Magazines
On Sonoma’s appellation trail
...West Sonoma Coast producers are familiar to a certain type of wine lover: Hirsch, Failla, Littorai, DuMol, Paul Hobbs, Peay, Freeman and Cobb. In Pursuit of Balance, a crusade to bring restraint to California Pinot and Chardonnay, originated here. Many vineyards are long-established: Cobb Coastlands and BA Theriot (of which more later) were planted in 1989, Peay in 1998, Hirsch in the early ‘80s. Andy Peay, who bought a sheep ranch in the mid-1990s and planted to Chardonnay and Pinot, says the weather can be ‘frankly hostile’. His Chardonnay is intense, ripe and precise with an oyster-shell texture. Yields are low – ‘we’re not interested in big and bold,’ he says. |
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Restaurant Wine
Restaurant Wine Reviews Freeman Wines
2022 ‘RYO-FU’, GREEN VALLEY, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY + These 2022 Chardonnays are wonderful wines and great values. The Ryo-Fu (Japanese for ‘cool breeze’, i.e, from the Pacific Ocean that sweeps RRV vineyards) is supple, full bodied, and finely balanced, with floral and fruity flavors (white peach, honey, lemon peel, vanilla, pineapple), and a long, crisp finish. Enjoyable now, but can age further. Grapes from the renowned Heintz Ranch and Dutton Ranch Shop Block vineyards. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels, 9% new. 505 cases. 12.8% [2025-2027] ª The Hawk Hill is exceptional: ripe and supple in style, with excellent depth of flavor (white peach, pineapple, vanilla, toast, honey, oak), great balance, and a long, vibrant finish. Very fine quality and value. Warrants further aging. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels. Clone: UCD 4. 206 cases. 13.7% [2026-2028] The 2021 Pinot Noirs from Freeman are among its very finest yet. All have intense, distinctive character, good depth of flavor, and wonderful length. The 2021 West Sonoma Coast is a very fine wine at the price. It is medium full bodied, fragrant, and very distinct in flavor (rose petal, cherry, plum, white pepper, black tea, toast), finely balanced, and long on the finish. Great value; warrants another year or two of aging. Five day cold soak. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 28% new. Entirely from the Yu-ki Estate vineyard. Clones: Calera, Mt. Eden, Wadenswil 2A, Mariafeld 23, and Dijon 114, 667, and 828. 680 cases. 12.8% [2025-2028] ª The RRV is terrific: a beautifully balanced, moderately intense wine with cherry, plum, rose petal, black tea, and oak flavors, and a very long, harmonious finish. Enjoyable now, and likely at its best in 2025 and beyond. 5 day cold soak. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 22% new. Vineyard sources: 47% Gloria Estate, 35% Pratt, 18% KR Ranch. 1,144 cases. 13.5% [2025-2028] ª The 2021 KR Ranch is outstanding: a full bodied, ripely flavored wine with fine depth, excellent flavor (black cherry, raspberry, black tea, rose petal, mint, cedar, oak), and a very long, mildly tannic finish. Still evolving, can be aged further. Excellent value. 5 day cold soak. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. Clones: 85% Mariafeld (23), 15% Dijon 777. 264 cases. 14% [2026-2030] ª The 2021 Gloria Estate is exceptional: full bodied, medium rich, and very long on the palate, with refined aroma and flavor (rose petal, cherry, red licorice, black tea, guava), fine balance, and long and persistent on the finish. Warrants another two+ years of aging. 5 day cold soak. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 24% new. Clones: Dijon 115, Swan, Calera, Pommard, Martini. 494 cases. 13.1% [2026-2030] ª The 2021 Yu-Ki (named for the owner’s nephew, which in Japanese also means ‘courage’ and ‘big tree’) is full bodied, intense in flavor (black cherry, rose petal, blackberry, black tea, toasted oak), and long and lightly tannic on the finish. Exceptional; likely at its best in 2026 and beyond. One of the winery’s best-ever Pinot Noirs, from estate vineyards above the town of Occidental, 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. 5 day cold soak. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 36% new. Clones: Mariafeld 23, 114, 667, 828, Wadenswil 2A. 445 cases. 13.1% [2026-2030] |
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