EQUINOX | Luchineasa | 2020
feteasca alba | feteasca regala

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The wine we are going to review today has been released quite recently on the market and is slowly but steady becoming a hit overnight – Luchineasa 2020 by Equinox. This wine is a blend of two indigenous grape varieties: feteasca alba, which forms the main body and structure of the wine and feteasca regala, which is responsible for up-front richness, floral flavours 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 by using the ecologic viticulture techniques, with no added sulfites and it is also Bio certified. Needless to mention that the wine has been produced in a very limited edition of only 600 bottles, thus it is a rarity even in Moldova. 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
color: straw yellow color
clarity: pale yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & floral
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits
__sweet fruits: yellow apple | quince | wild pear | yellow mirabelle
__citrus fruits: lemon | pineapple
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal | other
__floral: marguerite daisy | acacia blossom
__herbal: straw grass | hay | meadow | dried herbs
__other: sour apples
primary layer: floral

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

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: floral & herbal
finish: medium+
aftertaste: seedy-hot

//Scoring
EQUINOX | Luchineasa | 2020
variety: feteasca alba | feteasca regala
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 90.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or within 1 year
verdict: good | a very nice wine
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This is definitely a good wine of Moldova and with a total of 90.7 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 crisp and seedy wine blend that is almost there, at the peak of its prime form – a wine that maybe requires a bit more ageing (9 to 12 months should suffice). It feels tart, lean and slightly sour, with overwhelming acidity and a punch of alcoholic warmth on the palate that leads to a quite hot finale. The wine tastes austere, crisp and appealing, displaying a very nuanced, fruity-floral profile on the surface, with mesmerizing, herbaceous notes in the background. The wine might taste slightly opulent and wide at times, lacking maybe just a bit of harmony and balance on the palate, but make no mistake, this is a very potent and well structured wine blend – one that is still developing into the bottle. Cheers!

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