EQUINOX | Echinoctius | 2017
cabernet sauvignon | rara neagra | merlot

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Today we are going to perform a trip into the past and re-evaluate a wine that is regarded by many as one of the best ever made in Moldova – Echinoctius 2017 by Equinox. This is the winemaker’s flagship wine – a blend of cabernet sauvignon, rara neagra and merlot where cabernet sauvignon forms the main body and structure, rara neagra adds upfront richness and cherry fruit flavors, whereas merlot rounds up the blend and delivers that smooth and lush finish that many fall in love with. Before making it into the final blend, each variety has been harvested individually at its optimal ripeness and aged separately for 30 months in new oak barrels, needless to mention that this wine is produced in a very limited edition, as only 2050 bottles were ever made. 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:

(rev.2020)

(rev.2021)

//Visual
colour: medium-deep ruby
clarity: hazy garnet shades

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

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | animal | earth
__spice: red pepper | black pepper
__oak: cherry tree wood | cherry tree bark | roasted oakwood | tobacco
__sweet: dried black cherry | dried black plum | black plum jam
__animal: veal | leather | game
__earth: black soil dust
__wood: new / medium+ toasted

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol & acidity
body: round | full

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: spice | oak
finish: medium+
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
EQUINOX | Echinoctius | 2017
variety: cabernet sauvignon | rara neagra | merlot
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 92.7

//Conclusion
maturity: on the rise | developing
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.7 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 definitely a very fine wine blend – one that still needs another 3 or 4 years of bottle ageing in order to further develop and round up, before it will come close to the peak of its form. It tastes crisp, round and plump, with a nuanced fruity-oaky profile and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel. The wine feels well balanced and firm, with overwhelming acidity, ripe tannins and a seedy-crisp finale, where the primary fruit is complemented nicely by those rich, oak-infused flavours. What this wine lacks today is some elegance and finesse on the palate, traits that will surely come with time spent in the bottle. In its current state it feels feels grippy, extracted and slightly tart, with a full body and a ripe, tannic grip on the mouthfeel. We would suggest to aerate this wine at least 30 minutes before serving and enjoy it.

(rev.2020)
(rev.2021)

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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.