Our allocation of Sato Riesling 2024 is always limited, and it always sells out. Sato Riesling 2024 is a dry Riesling from Central Otago, made by Yoshi and Kyoko Sato with wild yeast and a touch of older oak. The wine has dried apple, apricot and citrus with a flinty edge, and James Suckling rated it 95 POINTS. It suits anyone who likes their Riesling dry, textured and precise.
Pour a glass and the aromas on the nose are dried apple, apricot and citrus. Underneath sits a subtle flinty, mineral note. The palate has layers of fruit and a gentle creaminess, and fresh acidity keeps it lively.
It is bottled dry, with about 1.9 grams per litre of residual sugar (the natural grape sugar left after fermentation). That makes it a good one to open for friends who have only tried sweeter styles of Riesling, and a good weekend wine with lunch.
What makes it stand out is the texture. The grapes are pressed as whole bunches overnight and fermented with wild yeast. Most of the wine sits in stainless steel, with a portion in seasoned oak barrels. That time in older oak builds texture while keeping the fruit pure.
What it tastes like
This wine has aromas of dried apple, apricot and citrus. Subtle mineral and flinty notes sit underneath, a little like the smell of a struck match.
On the palate it is textural and composed. The fruit comes in layers with a gentle creaminess. Fresh acidity balances that creaminess.
The finish is dry and precise, with a mineral edge that lingers.
Style at a glance
- Body: light to medium, with a gentle creamy texture
- Sweetness: dry (about 1.9 g/L residual sugar)
- Acidity: fresh and lively
- Oak: a portion matured in seasoned oak barrels, which adds texture rather than oak flavour
- Style: dry, textural, mineral, precise
Food to enjoy this with
This is a wine best enjoyed with great food. Good matches include:
- Freshly shucked oysters with a squeeze of lemon
- Crayfish with lemon butter
- Pan-fried blue cod with capers
- Roast pork belly with apple sauce, which picks up the dried apple in the wine
- Thai green papaya salad
- Vegetable tempura: the fresh acidity cuts through the crisp batter, and the creamy texture holds up to the frying
Who makes it
Sato is the work of Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato. They met in 1998 while working for a Japanese bank in Tokyo, and spent more than 10 years in banking in Tokyo and London. In 2006 they moved to New Zealand to study viticulture and winemaking at Lincoln University. Both started their wine careers at Felton Road under Blair Walter. Yoshi went on to make wine at Mount Edward from 2009. That was also the year of the first Sato wine: 190 cases of Pinot Noir. Kyoko spent 12 years at Felton Road before joining Sato full-time in 2018.
Their training also took them to natural and biodynamic producers in Europe, including Jean-Pierre Frick in Alsace, Jean-Yves Bizot and Domaine Matassa. At Sato every fermentation runs on wild yeast. No sulphur is added during winemaking, and only a trace (10 to 15 parts per million) goes in just before bottling. About 60% of the wine comes from their own vineyard. The rest comes from organically farmed vineyards in Bannockburn and Bendigo.
About the vintage
Stephen Wong MW's report on Central Otago's 2024 vintage for The Real Review describes heavy spring rain followed by a long summer drought. Berries were small, which gave the wines concentration. Ripening was cool and slow, and the fruit came in clean and free of disease.
James Suckling called 2024 an across-the-board outstanding vintage for New Zealand.
Critic scores and ratings
- 95 POINTS – James Suckling – JamesSuckling.com, October 2025
Technical details
| Winery: |
Sato Wines |
| Wine: |
Riesling |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
Riesling |
| Region: |
Central Otago |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
12.5% |
| Oak: |
Around 9 months in stainless steel and seasoned oak |
| Fermentation: |
Wild yeast, mostly in stainless steel with a portion in older oak barrels |
| Closure: |
Screw cap |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Sato Riesling 2024 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Sato Riesling 2024 dry or sweet?
Sato Riesling 2024 is dry. It was bottled with about 1.9 grams per litre of residual sugar.
How was Sato Riesling 2024 rated?
James Suckling rated Sato Riesling 2024 95 POINTS.
How is Sato Riesling 2024 made?
Sato hand-picked the grapes and pressed them as whole bunches overnight. The juice fermented with wild yeast, mostly in stainless steel with some in older oak, and matured for around 9 months before bottling.
What does Sato Riesling 2024 taste like?
Sato Riesling 2024 shows dried apple, apricot and citrus with flinty, mineral notes, a gently creamy palate, fresh acidity and a dry finish.
Who makes Sato wines?
Sato is run by Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato, who left banking in Tokyo and London, moved to New Zealand in 2006 and trained at Felton Road before making their first Sato wine in 2009.
Where can I buy Sato Riesling 2024?
The Winery ships Sato Riesling 2024 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
