2018 Kusuda Syrah

The richly fruited 2018 Syrah reflects the warm season, yet retains a sense of its cool-climate origins in its green herbal notes reminiscent of agave, jalapeño and a small sprinkle of black pepper. It’s round and succulent, offering plentiful concentration on the weighty yet refreshing mid-palate. The supple core and silken tannins create a sense of ease from start to finish. The lengthy conclusion is mouthwatering, providing a line that sews up this ripe style. French-oak-derived clove spices join the red fruit and spiced notes. A very gentle and calm expression.

Full bottle 1,405 g. Dry spring followed by very warm summer with wetter than usual February. Though a touch wetter than the norm the season was favourable for cool-climate-style Syrah in Martinborough. 24 hl/ha average yield. Harvested by hand 7–9 April with rigorous selection at 21 to 23 Brix. 92% destemmed without crushing, then cold soaked for one to eight days. Fermented in open stainless-steel vats with pumping-over and hand plunging. Total period of maceration: 25 to 28 days. Aged in French (25% new) oak barriques for 21 months. Unfined and bottled after coarse filtration. 3,186 bottles filled. TA 5.2 g/l. Transparent garnet. Very savoury, dry Syrah on the nose with lightly peppery fruit on the palate. Very beautiful palate composition with no excesses at all. Beautiful hand-tooled leather expression with light sweetness on palate entry demonstrating sufficient ripeness and then a bone-dry, incredibly persistent finish. Any Côte Rôtie producer would be proud of this. Very precise and understated – but by no means wimpy! (JR)

Full bottle 1,309 g. Not yet properly released. 22 months in barrel (25% new). 3,186 bottles produced. Pale garnet. So black-peppery on the nose!! Light and sleek – really smooth and ethereal. I feel as though I should be comparing this to Jamet. Tannins almost imperceptible. Great, delicate balance between fruit and acidity. None of these Kusuda wines is obviously high in acidity (apart from the 2019 Riesling). I feel as though I could hoover this up now, even though it has not been fully launched. Long – and health juice again. Ethereal yet not light or wan. (JR)