EQUINOX | Trei Crai | 2018
cabernet sauvignon | merlot | syrah
We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations.
Today we are going to review a wine that has struck the market incognito yet became a star right away – Trei Crai 2018 (v.2) by Equinox. This wine is a blend of three major french varieties: cabernet sauvignon that forms the wine’s main body and structure, merlot which delivers a more refined mid-palate and provides a softer texture on the mouthfeel, and shiraz (also known as syrah) which increases complexity, adds spiciness and longevity to the final blend. Each variety was vinified separately from each other and aged for 18 months in stainless steel tanks, with just a couple of months of oak ageing for certain varieties. But the thing which makes this wine really unique, is that fact that “Trei Crai” (which means “Three Kings“) is the first Bio certified wine of 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
colour: medium-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby shades on the rim
//Olfactory
intensity: rich & expressive
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red plum | dried pomegranate skin
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | aronia berry | bramble | blackberry
fruit character: overripe
//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: peppercorn | nutmeg | tonka seeds
__oak: cherry tree wood | roasted oakwood | black tea | tobacco | cherry tree bark
__earth: graphite | black soil dust | subtle hints of clay & loam
primary layer: fruit & oak
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: plump | full body
//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & seedy
//Scoring
EQUINOX | Trei Crai | 2018
variety: cabernet sauvignon | merlot | syrah
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda | Olanesti
rating: 92.5
//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or age for 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.5 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 plump, expressive and nicely balanced wine blend, with a fruit-forward profile and a crisp palate. The wine is still in its development phase, therefore we would recommend to drink it now or age it for up to 2 or 3 more years in order to allow the wine to develop further complexity. On the nose it delivers a mesmerizing mixture of overripe red & black fruits in the foreground, followed by a spicy-oaky background and a subtle earthy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine showcases overwhelming acidity, ripe, fine-grained tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which evolves into a crisp & seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is a quite youthful but well structured wine, with a fruity-expressive profile – a wine that in its current state lacks a bit of complexity and finesse on the palate. We believe it will pair nicely with a cherry-glazed filet mignon. Enjoy!
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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.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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