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Today we are going to review a wine that has been released recently on the market – a single-varietal merlot wine, a wine that has all the prerequisites to become a local legend – Merlot 2017 by Equinox. This wine is made from merlot grapes, that were sourced from the Olanesti vineyard in the famous Stefan-Voda wine growing area. It has been aged in big, 500-liters oak barrels, in close contact with caucasian and american oakwood. Merlot is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon, but make no mistake here, merlot wine is first class – quite versatile, ripens earlier than cabernet sauvignon, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in both, cool and warm climate. That said, without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting sheet!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Deep, but not opaque, ruby color with ripe pomegranate shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe red and black fruit flavours: candied sour cherry, red plum, black plum, redcurrant, blackcurrant, cranberry, blackberry, aronia berry, overripe sour cherry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of lightly roasted oakwood, red pepper, dried cherry, dried cranberry, nutmeg, cloves, sweet tobacco, vanilla and some subtle hints of leather and smoke.
Gustatory
The wine is extra-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and fine-grained tannins. It feels very fruity, ripe and supple, with an opulent-plumpy mouthfeel and a quite grippy, seedy-crisp accent. This is an elegant, velvety and well structured merlot wine – round, tannic and expressive, with a fine-grained tannic grip on the palate. The wine has a good overall balance between primary fruit and oak-infused flavours, and it might lack maybe just a bit of character – an outstanding merlot wine overall.
Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and an elegant, crisp and seedy aftertaste.
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This is definitely an excellent wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.5 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.
Conclusion: this is one of the finest merlot wines produced in Moldova so far, with a very clear-cut varietal profiling: fruit-forward, plumpy and opulent, with an expressive, fine-tannic grip on the mouthfeel, supported by crisp acidity and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through. This is a wine that is still developing in the bottle, one that can definitely age for another year or two, yet we are strongly advocating to drink it today and enjoy it at its finest. In order to elevate its elegance, we would suggest to pair this wine with fat-rich meaty dishes with smooth textures, like for example an extra-rare filet mignon steak or tournedos rossini with foie gras, so that all the fruitiness in the wine will be perfectly complemented by the delicate umami flavours of the beef. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
EQUINOX
Merlot | 2017
grape: | merlot |
region: Moldova | Stefan-Voda
overall rating: | 92.5 |
maturity: on the rise
conclusion: excellent | (a must try)
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a one-time donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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