A Sommelier’s Take on Le Vieux Pin ‘Equinoxe’ Syrah 2017 

One of the key characteristics that makes us truly unique in BC is diurnal temperature range. The intense summertime sunshine during the daytime, followed by cool nighttime temperatures, allows the grapes to retain their acidity. The aromatics and acidity stay bright and lively but the phenols don’t get overripe. This results in wines with duality; wines that have the ability to bridge Old World with New World. Equinoxe, the top tier wine from Le Vieux Pin, does exactly this by so gracefully integrating Old World winemaking techniques, while embracing new world fruit. These wines remind me of some of my favourite French wines, while still showing off their BC personality.

Le Vieux Pin ‘Equinoxe Syrah’ best paired with black pepper crusted New York Steak to fill the air with all that peppery goodness and celebration of the world’s single greatest spice.

Winemaker Severine Pinte spent many of her winemaking years in the Languedoc region Southern France, and has a soft spot for Syrah. Syrah is a grape that loves sunshine and thrives on granite, making some of their more northerly vineyard sites the ideal location for Syrah in BC.

While the yields were low in 2017, the vintage gave intense tiny berries with deep colour and rich phenolics, lending to wines of structure and concentration that will have a long ageing potential.

This wine spends 18 months in French oak barrels, which adds complexity in flavour, highlighting some of those classic notes like tobacco, leather, vanilla, and clove.

Only 202 cases of the 2017 Equinoxe Syrah were produced, making it an extra special wine for the cellar. This is a wine packed with personality and passion, while still exuding a perfumed delicacy. The bright fruit character shines through, with notes blackcurrant, plum, black cherry, violets, sagebrush, and black pepper. When thinking of pairings, the wine should have the same flavour intensity as the food, so pair with something bold in flavour like a decadent lamb or beef dish. Another excellent pairing might just be the perfect someone, cozied up next to the fireplace …

————————————————————————————————–

Hello! My name is Kristi Linneboe and I am a Vancouver-based Sommelier. 

My biggest inspirations in the wine world are the people and the farming practices behind each bottle.  Every wine has a story to tell: who made it, what makes it different from other wines, why it tastes the way it does, and why it is the right wine for that moment. The more I learn about wine, the more I realize that there is so much more to learn… And the best part about learning is sharing it with others. 

I was thrilled to be asked to be a guest blogger for this month and I’m excited to share some tasting notes and fun facts about 3 of my favourite wines with you. As someone who loves breaking bread and facilitating happiness, let’s raise a glass and taste through these wines together!