The Drops of God (神の雫)

What is all this?

Soil.

Soil?

Not just any soil.

Soil from Burgundy vineyards.

What are you doing?!

Griotte-Chambertin. Slightly to the north.

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru Domaine Ponsot, Northern Section

That's correct!

Vosne-Romanée. Romanée-Conti.

No, this is La Romanée next to it.

It's a great grand cru vineyard,

but there's a hint of the pesticides and harsh growing methods

used in the past before the current owner.

Don't tell me... You're trying to identify the fields by eating the soil?

Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru La Romanée Owned by Domaine du Vicomte Liger-Belair

Correct.

A field's quality and unique traits appear in the wine as its terroir.

I'm doing a tasting so I can learn to recognize what makes each one unique.

You don't have to go that far...

My opponent was able to smell a Montrachet

four thousand meters above sea level in the middle of a blizzard.

That's who I'm up against.

Next, we'll move on to Bordeaux.

Ma'am, your wine.

Merci.

Oh, this one's a bit bouchonné.

I hate to ask, but could you bring me a new one?

Oh, of course.

What's wrong?

That Asian woman says this wine is bouchonné.

Oh, was there something wrong with the cork?

Well, sometimes you get picky customers like that.

It's just fine.

Right?

Let's just bring her the same thing in a new glass.

Yeah.

Here you are.

Forget the wine.

Take it away.

And would you call the cabin manager?

I'm so sorry.

I really am.

What?

What's going on?

She told you the wine was bouchonné, and you brought it to her twice?!

Oh, no...

Was it really spoiled?

Of course it was!

She's one of the top wine tasters in France!

We're so sorry!

As long as you understand.

Would you bring me a different wine, then?

O-Of course!

My son chose these wines, after all.

I don't want to go back to Japan without trying them.

Excuse me.

Tomine-sensei, Sarah-san is here for you.

Sarah is?

Yes, and there's someone with her...

Issei!

I haven't seen you in ages.

I'm at work.

Oh, how cold.

It's been three years.

Hello. I am Issei's mother, Tomine Honoka.

I'm sorry, but could the three of you leave us?

Of course.

Sarah, why did you bring her here?

And without telling me first?

Sorry, brother.

But if I had, you would've said no.

Of course.

This is my workplace!

See?

If you knew, then...

I asked her.

I can't have you here.

But it's the only way for me to see you, even though we're mother and son.

Hey, you haven't eaten yet, right?

Let's go somewhere with good wine.

All right.

I'll arrange a car.

Hooray!

Sensei.

This just arrived!

Oh? What could that be?

An invitation to the next apostle hunt!

An apostle?

Kanzaki Yutaka...

How much did you tell her?

Everything.

Will you fill me in on what I should know?

Yes.

So everyone's here, I see.

I'll begin, then.

The Sixth Apostle...

I have never known true loneliness from the moment of my birth.

There was always warmth.

I've lived alongside a warmth that gave me succor when I was in pain.

I thought that was natural, but...

Now I walk in darkness.

And my first taste of loneliness makes me afraid.

I see a silent domain that stretches out as far as I can see. Nothing moves.

No spring to slate my thirst.

No breeze to calm my racing heart.

And beyond the darkness, I see something shining like a crescent moon.

It is a person but also the universe itself.

Its gaze is turned downward, but it sees all.

Its fingertips tell me a story of endless thought.

It accepts me for who I am

and holds me close.

I ask a question.

"What should I do?"

"What is the meaning of living through the years to come?"

The Miroku Bosatsu Hanka Shiizo...

This wine gives a silent answer to those in need.

Where are you going now?

Don't worry.

I won't cause any trouble for you.

I asked where you're going.

To Kyoto, of course.

I'm going to see the Miroku Bosatsu statue at Koryu-ji Temple.

Now, it's time for my train.

Kobayashi-kun, I'll send you detailed instructions via email.

O-Oh, right.

The Sixth Apostle begins with loneliness.

I must fight this battle alone.

The Sixth Apostle is way beyond me...

Don't say that. Just go to Kyoto and see the statue.

I'm not doing that.

But you went to the Matterhorn for the Fifth Apostle.

The Sixth Apostle's text didn't feel like he was walking around to find something.

Going to see the Miroku Bosatsu without understanding it might

seem like the right answer, but I don't think it is.

But if you don't go looking, you'll never find it.

Yeah, you're right...

What's Tomine-san doing?

Going to Kyoto, I bet.

He's had so many different wines over the years

that he may have tasted the Sixth Apostle before.

He's going to see the statue in the description so he can see

if this apostle is what he thinks it is.

I see...

Hey, Kanzaki!

This is the Sixth Apostle!

I heard how it went and had an idea!

What an incredible aroma!

It's like an olfactory Big Bang!

Right?

Now give it a try.

This is...

In the distant past, a night festival in worship of the gods and fire

that shakes your very soul...

Well? It's galactic in scale, no?

Yeah, I do get a sense of the universe in this wine.

It's really something!

When I heard it involved space, I figured this Italian wine was just the thing!

A '90 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino.

Buddha

A sense of scale, as one sits unmoving and observes the universe!

A wine like the Buddha himself!

The Sixth Apostle is Miroku Bosatsu, specifically.

Well, they're basically the same thing, signorina!

Still, I do feel like this wine has a taste of religion and the universe in it.

That's not totally off.

R-Right?

This Barolo is famous, right?

What variety of grape does it use?

You don't even know that?

Nebbiolo, a type of black grape from Piedmont!

Hey, could we narrow it down to Italian wines made from Nebbiolo grapes?

I see. Yeah, we could.

Then it's settled!

We'll start with Barolo and Barbaresco!

Y-Yeah, good idea.