EQUINOX | Sintagma | 2017
rara neagra | cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are going to perform another trip into the past and re-evaluate a wine that is rightly considered amongst the best ever made in Moldova, a wine we will be talking about for a very long time – Sintagma 2017 by Equinox. The constant search for perfection makes this wine a real classic – a blend of rara neagra and cabernet sauvignon, where cabernet sauvignon forms the main body and structure, while rara neagra adds up-front richness and a more refined mid-palate, supported by some subtle-savory hints of local terroir. Sintagma is an elementary constituent segment within a text and, similar to the words that merge one into another, the two grape varieties fusion into something more than a mere blend – it is an union of power and finesse, where all the wilderness of rara neagra match the complexity of cabernet sauvignon. This specific wine has been aged for 18 months in oak barriques and only 700 bottles have ever been produced, therefore this wine is a rarity even in Moldova. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the results and find out how it has evolved since our last review.
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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 ruby shades

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

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | spice | oak | savory | earth
__herbal: hints of tomato leaf
__spice: red pepper | cloves
__oak: sun-dried oakwood | hints of tobacco | roasted oakwood
__savory: hints of leather
__earthy: black soil dust
__wood: old & new / light & medium roast

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: med(+)
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: round | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & black fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: crisp & seedy

//Scoring
EQUINOX | Sintagma | 2017
variety: rara neagra | cabernet sauvignon
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 93.2

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for another 3-4 years
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova and, with a total of 93.2 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 really great wine, definitely amongst the best we’ve tasted so far, yet a wine that still needs some time in the bottle (3 to 4 more years should be enough) before it will reach the peak of its form. The wine tastes round, supple and grippy, with a nuanced fruit-forward profile and a seedy-crisp, slightly tart finale. This is a wine with a medium+ body, overwhelming acidity on the palate and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. Overall it feels ripe, voluptuous and well structured, with fine-grained tannins and a juicy nose, where the primary fruit is quite nicely complemented by those subtle, oak-infused flavours, with a layer of earthy savoriness in between. What this wine lacks today is some elegance and finesse, traits that will surely come with time spent in the bottle. We would recommend to aerate this wine for 30 to 45 minutes before serving, so that it will get enough oxygen to open up and express its full potential both, on the nose and on the palate. Get one of these and enjoy!

(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.