Kusada Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Hiroyuki Kusuda left a career in the Japanese wine trade to make wine in Martinborough — a decision that has produced one of New Zealand's most distinctive and celebrated pinot noirs. His approach is informed by Burgundian philosophy but expressed with a Japanese sensibility for precision and restraint. The wines are aromatic, silky and of exceptional elegance — a style unlike anything else produced in New Zealand. Kusuda has quietly established himself as one of Martinborough's most important voices.