Highlights: Kusuda Pinot Noir 2012, Martinborough

New Zealand’s most sought-after Pinot Noir? It could well be Hiroyuki Kusuda’s, from Martinborough. He moved to New Zealand with his family in 2001, and soon began making some astonishing wines, based on a meticulous, single-berry selection process. So it was nice to get to drink this beauty with a few years on it. It’s hard to find these bottles: few are made, and most sell in Japan.

Kusuda Pinot Noir 2012 Martinborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. This has 25% new oak. Hand harvested, carefully sorted, just coarse filtration. This is fresh and supple, and nicely elegant with fine spices and lovely complexity, showing notes of herbs and tar. There are layers here: it’s nicely complex with black cherry and berry fruits, as well as fine spices. Lovely freshness and detail: so expressive with a silky texture. 96/100

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