VILLA SYMPOSIA L'EQUILIBRE 2014
Juicy (fresh and ripe dark fruit, such as cherries, blue berries, plums, blackcurrants); perfummy (lavender); peppery and spicy(cinnamon and cloves); tones of sweet cigar/tobacco, with savours of meat (new leather) and licorice lurking behind. On palate, it is fresh, round, fruity and lightish, with nice acidities and integrated structure The wine changes over 1 hour of tasting to form an edging, dry medium finish, with quite some texture from the ample and fine tannins. Easy to drink. Lightish alcohol; not clumsy at all.
On the label is a dragonfly. May be that its thoughtless ‘summer play’ points to how this wine should be interpreted?
We all like the wine, and the low cost too.
The Equilibre 2014 is well made, well balanced, always elegant giving a ‘light-being’ feeling on the palate. It is a blend of 55% Syrah, 35% Carignan, 5% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. It is from 30 year old vines planted on a mix of clay-limestone and gravel soils. The wine is aged for 9 to 10 months in used barrels and the Carignan is aged all in stainless steel. The Syrah are old vines. Together with the Mourvèdre, the Syrah go into wood ageing. Most of their vineyards are within the cru of Pézenas. Bio-organic.
The winemaker made his reputation with Château Rol Valentin in St Emilion and Château Roc in the Côtes de Castillon, both insider Right Bank wines of excellence.
Scores are impressive for recent vintages. For example, 2014 is awarded RP91; 2012 is RP92.
