EQUINOX | 5 Elemente | 2019
chardonnay | feteasca alba | feteasca regala | babeasca gris | pinot gris

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Today we are going to review a very special wine, as this is not just an orange wine, but the wine that started the whole orange wine culture in Moldova – 5 Elemente 2019 by Equinox. This wine is a blend of no fewer than 5 grape varieties: chardonnay, feteasca alba, feteasca regala, babeasca gris and pinot gris – all of them blended to the point of excellence. Each variety has been harvested individually at its optimum ripeness and vinified separately, only then the winemaker blended them, turning the five wines into the final blend. The most intriguing thing about this wine is that each new version is unique, the blending formula has never been the same, which makes it quite unique, not to mention that it is produced in a very limited edition of only 1800 bottles. That said and without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: pale amber
clarity: bright orange hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & sweet
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__sweet fruits: golden apples | quince | wild pear
__citrus fruits: orange | tangerine | orange peel
__stone fruits: apricot | peach 
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: sweet | malic | other
__sweet: raisins | candied apricots
__malic: sour apples | fermented apples
__other: dried apricots | dried quince | hazelnut | moist wood
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: medium
__grip: green
balance: fair
__dominant: tannin (seediness)
body: austere | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: citrus fruits & stone fruits
fruit character: underripe
non fruit: malic flavours
finish: medium+
aftertaste: seedy-tart

//Scoring
EQUINOX | 5 Elemente | 2019
variety: chardonnay | feteasca alba | feteasca regala | babeasca gris | pinot gris
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 90.3

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | can age for up to 7 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 90.3 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 nice orange wine that has yet to reach the peak of its form, as its acidity and tannins needs to settle down a bit. We believe this wine can be aged up to 7 years in the bottle, in the same manner as georgian white/orange wines are traditionally aged in kvevri. In its current state the wine feels austere, angular and pleasantly tart, with a slightly oxidative mouthfeel, seedy-crisp finale and a sour accent on the nose, dominated by sour apples, candied apricots and some nuanced hints of orange peel. What this wine definitely lacks today is some finesse and harmony on the palate, as it taste slightly off the balance, with overwhelming sourness and seediness on the mouthfeel. Orange wines are appreciated for their robustness, thus they are not meant to be lean and velvety – those are wines that are vinified the same way as white wines were made hundreds of years ago, using whole bunch fermentation (where grapes are fermented with skins and stems and all), therefore they are in a class of their own and cannot be compared to white wines. Our suggestion is to get one and discover its hidden treasures. Cheers!

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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.