The Drops of God (神の雫)

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.