EQUINOX | Trei Crai | 2018
cabernet sauvignon | merlot | malbec

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The wine we are going to review tonight is one that that struck the market incognito but became a hit right away – Trei Crai 2018 (v.1) by Equinox. The wine is a blend of three major french varieties: cabernet sauvignon which form the main body and structure, merlot which delivers a more refined mid-palate and adds texture to the blend, and malbec which is responsible for up-front richness and a lusher finish. Yet what makes this wine really unique, is that fact, that “Trei Crai” (which means “Three Kings“) is the first Bio certified wine of Moldova. Each variety was vinified separately from each other, aged for 18 months in stainless steel tanks, therefore no oak ageing has been applied. That said, without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
concentration: medium
colour: ruby
clarity: hazy
hue/rim: garnet

//Olfactory
intensity: rich
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | cranberry
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackberry | blackcurrant
fruit character: ripe | overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | other
__spice: red pepper | black pepper | nutmeg
__other: dried cranberry | cherry tree wood | dried black plum
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
body: full | grippy
balance: good
__dominant: acidity | tannin
complexity: moderate

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
fruit character: ripe | overripe
non fruit: spice | other
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: seedy-tart

//Scoring
EQUINOX | Trei Crai | 2018
variety: cabernet sauvignon | merlot | malbec
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda | Olanesti
rating: 91.8

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or age for 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.8 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.

Verdict: this is a very fine wine blend: bitter-seedy, tart and quite tannic – a wine with a nuanced fruit-forward profile. It tastes crisp, ripe and expressive, with firm tannic grip on the mouthfeel, overwhelming acidity and quite some touch of alcoholic warmth. Nonetheless, this is a very youthful wine, one that is still developing and one that can definitely age for another 3 to 4 years in the bottle, as the acidity is quite excessive and the alcohol is overwhelming, which makes the wine feels quite angular. Overall the wine does not lack in structure or character, a bit too tart for our taste, yet seedy and grippy, with a quite complex body and an appealing palate. In its current state it might lack some finesse and harmony on the mouthfeel, therefore ageing is a very good idea. Enjoy!
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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.