Before embarking on his winemaking career, Tokyo-born Hiroyuki (known as Hiro) Kusuda trained as a lawyer, worked for Fujitsu and worked at the Consulate General of Japan in Sydney. Hiro sought a winemaking education in English, but was dissuaded by the fees that foreign students were charged at Davis in California and Roseworthy in Austrlia. Instead, he went to Germany, learned the language, enrolled at Geisenheim and then emigrated to New Zealand to work as an assistant to his friend Kai Schubert, who had been a few years ahead of him at Geisenheim. This led him to the tiny town of Martinborough to pursue both the Riesling and Pinot grapes – to which a third challenge, Syrah, has now been added. Obviously the main market for Kusuda is Japan, where they have developed a cult following, and indeed whence comes the volunteer labour force at harvest time when every grape is rigorously checked before making the cut. Hiro Kusuda is meticulous to an almost fanatical degree, but it explains the exceptional quality and amazing precision of his wines.

Kusuda Syrah Martinborough 2020
12% abv
100% destemmed without crushing, cold soaked for 4 to 6 days. Fermented in open stainless-steel vats with pumping-over and hand plunging, total period of maceration for 27 to 29 days. Aged in French (25% new) oak barriques for 24 months. Unfined and bottled after coarse filtration.
The weather changed in early summer to cooler days and then wetter in March. Two ex-tropical cyclones in the first half of April was quite nerve-wracking but the fine, warm weather in the second half salvaged the vintage. The longest pre-harvest sorting (cut out diseased berries one by one from the bunches still hanging on the vines) ever carried out, for about 10 days. 2282 bottles produced.
” Hand-picked and sorted. Aged for 20 months in French oak (20% new). Coarse filtration. Unfined. 2,927 bottles produced.
Transparent purplish crimson. Strong on black-pepper/rotundone notes, medium body and a bone-dry finish. Very pure and energetic. Smooth, fine tannins. Very Jamet Côte Rôtie-like! Much drier than the Van Loggerenberg 2018 Syrah tasted alongside. Very fine and precise indeed. Should age beautifully but could already be enjoyed.”
75.5 Points, Jancis Robinson Nov 2022
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2020 | Australasia | Bonded | Kusuda | Martinborough | New Zealand | Red | Shiraz / Syrah | Still | WineImportant. This is a bonded product and is priced exclusive of Duty and VAT. Wines must be purchased by the unmixed case. The case size is detailed in the Product Details. After purchase we will contact you to arrange either the wine's continued storage in a bonded warehouse as designated by HM Customs & Excise or for the payment of the pertinent Duty and VAT, where after delivery can be arranged. Transfer & delivery fees will be charged at cost.
- Reference #:
- 20412_B
- Strength
- 12 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Grapes
- Shiraz / Syrah
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Sparkling
- No
