Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Martinborough
Perfect with: Roast duck salad with radish, deboned quails with enoki mushrooms, aged comte
Ageing Potential: 5-8 years
Size: 750mL

Why You'll Love it?

Hiro Kusuda is not your average winemaker. Originally he studied law and was an ambassador for Japan before giving it all up to pursue his lifelong dream to become a winemaker. He moved his entire family halfway across the world, firstly to Germany where he had to learn a new language to complete his oenology diploma by thesis, before moving to New Zealand to start his winery. His winemaking methods are nothing short of extreme perfectionism. Not only does he employ hand picking but he also berry sorts. So after a day of hand picking, it will take another 3 days to pick out the bad berries. Berries with any small imperfection, such as a scar, are rejected.

2015 vintage was even smaller than 2014. Only 2135 bottles made.

Tastes Like? 

Elegant, silky pinot noir with notes of raspberry, red cherries, strawberry, violet and a hint of star anise spice and herbaceousness. Delicate, medium bodied, not as light in style as prior yearbut certainly carries the signature Kusuda finesse and elegance with a seductively long finish. Super fine, super smooth, very pure to the core and typical Kusuda texture. texture. 

Critics Reviews

"Everything Kusuda does is fabulous. Lovely freshness here. Very fine and expressive with cherries, plum and a fine mineral character. Pure with nice tannins and real detail. There's a haunting elegance with subtle bloody tones under the linear fruit. Spectacular" - 97 pts - Jamie Goode.

GARY WALSH, Winefront, tasted Jan 2017: 'Strong rise of rosy perfume, vanilla and baking spices, sweet red cherries... sappy and tangy, grainy tannin pulls through in the back, and the finish is fresh, sprinkled with herbs and bright cherry fruit. Delicious. So energetic.'