2019 Kusuda Pinot Noir

When you pick up a glass of Kusuda Pinot Noir, you know you’re going to be transported elsewhere, and the 2019 is no different. It is an unadulterated, sumptuous expression of incredibly concentrated fruit within a Zen-like core. Having been hand-harvested and the berries sorted more meticulously than you can imagine, the wine speaks of minimal intervention, allowing for a seamless, intensely satisfying mouthful of savory Pinot. A small portion of whole clusters (10%) gives both precision and a distinctive herbal lift, alongside the ripe red berry fruit and the savory, smoky character that makes Martinborough Pinot so unique. This is a wine for connoisseurs who are not only willing to pay a premium but also understand that a slightly hazy wine (no fining, coarse filtration) is eminently drinkable now and over the coming decade.

Full bottle 1,408 g. Just 4,076 bottles produced. 10% whole bunch. Aged for 16 months in French oak barriques (21% new) and bottled after a coarse filtration and no fining. Pale garnet, not quite star bright. Very pale rim. Correct violets and mushrooms on the nose. Still quite youthful with some concentration of flavour and a finish that is bone dry, suggesting a little light tannin tucked in for future development. Delicate texture. Ideally hang on to this until next year. (JR)