2024 Kusuda Riesling, Martinborough

'I thought this year was too warm and too dry,' says Hiro Kusuda, 'but I am happy with the result, and didn't lose the freshness and focus and linearity.' Tense and fine-boned, plenty of preserved lemon, gentle pink grapefruit characters, some waxy lime with dashes of talc and quartz-like minerality. Very focused, very persistent and a dart-like shape to the wine. Quiet complexity and great energy.

96 points Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Delicately perfumed with floral, mineral and lime aromas. This is a laser-sharp, dry riesling harbouring very fine notes of fresh herb, kaffir lime and apple blossom. The linear, racy flavours are wrapped in smooth, grapefruit pith phenolics which merge into a powdered chalk texture on the bone-dry finish. Deceptively long and transparently pure. The palate is currently closed and youthfully austere, but there is excellent tension between its feathery lightness, resonant acidity and long, deep minerality which gives confidence that it will develop elegantly in bottle 23 Oct 2025 Drink 2027–2040

94 points Stephen Wong MW therealreview.com

In the quiet, windswept vineyards of Martinborough, Kusuda has achieved near mythical status among collectors of fine New Zealand wine. Founded in 2001 by Hiroyuki Kusuda, who trained in Germany before settling in Wairarapa, the estate is built on an obsessive commitment to detail. Kusuda personally oversees vineyard work, hand tending vines and selecting fruit berry by berry at harvest. Yields are kept extremely low and production is tiny, making each release tightly allocated and highly sought after. The gravelly, free draining soils of Martinborough, combined with cool nights and long sunshine hours, create ideal conditions for Riesling with purity, structure and longevity.

In the glass the wine shows a pale straw hue with brilliant clarity. The bouquet is intensely precise and beautifully layered. Lime zest, lemon blossom and green apple rise first, followed by white florals, wet stone and a faint hint of jasmine. There is a crystalline mineral character that reflects the stony Martinborough soils and meticulous winemaking.

The palate is dry and tightly focused, driven by electric natural acidity that gives both energy and length. Flavours of lime juice, grapefruit and crisp apple unfold across a fine, chalky texture. The balance between fruit concentration and acidity is seamless, creating a wine that feels both powerful and restrained. The finish is long, mouthwatering and mineral, lingering with citrus peel and subtle floral nuance.

This is Riesling of serious pedigree, crafted with patience and precision rather than volume. Pair with freshly shucked oysters, sashimi, grilled prawns, Thai green papaya salad or goat cheese with lemon and herbs. While stunning in its youth for purity and vibrancy, it will cellar confidently for fifteen to twenty years, developing classic notes of honey, toast and gentle kerosene complexity while retaining freshness.