EQUINOX | Luchineasa | 2019
feteasca neagra | saperavi

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The wine we are going to review today has struck the market incognito but is slowly but steady becoming a hit – Luchineasa (Negru) 2019 by Equinox. This wine is a blend of two grape varieties: feteasca neagra, which forms the main body and structure and saperavi, which is responsible for up-front richness, color depth and a lusher finish. The wine comes from the famous Purcari region in Stefan Voda IGP (more precisely from the Luchineasa vineyard, hence its name) and what makes this wine really special, is that fact that it has been vinified using ecologic viticulture techniques, with no added sulfites, thus being Bio certified. Each variety was handled and vinified separately and only then bottled. Needless to mention that the wine has been produced in a very limited edition, as only 880 bottles have been made. That said and 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
colour: medium ruby color
clarity: pale ruby shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & fruity
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: blackberry | black cherry | black plum
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | earthy
__spice: red pepper | nutmeg | cloves | anise
__oak: liquorice | cherry tree bark | sweet tobacco
__earthy: black tea | black soil dust
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: firm
balance: fair
__dominant: acidity
body: supple & tart | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp & tart

//Scoring
EQUINOX | Luchineasa (Negru) | 2019
variety: feteasca neagra | saperavi
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 91.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for at least 2 or 3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.7 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 a very nice and appealing blend: crisp, tart and slightly angular – a wine with a nuanced fruit-forward profile. It feels expressive, rich and austere, with quite grippy tannins, overwhelming acidity and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. Nonetheless, this is a very youthful wine that is still developing in the bottle, one that requires time to round up and settle down a bit, therefore at least 2 or 3 years of bottle ageing will do it good, as the acidity at the moment is a bit too aggressive. On the nose the wine delivers very pronounced fruity-spicy notes in the foreground, supported by a very appealing, leathery-woody background. All in all, this is a wine that does not lack neither structure nor character, what does it lack though is a bit of harmony and finesse on the palate, therefore ageing it might be a very good idea. Of course, if you are lucky enough to get a bottle of this wine. 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.