Anthony Gismondi: 2017 Eq Syrah

Équinoxe is all about balance: equal day, equal night, equal heat of the day, equal cold of the night, and equal New World, Old World. But more than that, it represents the top of the syrah chain at Le Vieux Pin, and one of the best in the Okanagan Valley. The fruit comes off a mix of South Okanagan Valley sub-appellations honouring the adage of the sum is always greater than its parts blending method. In 2017 the wine was monumental and elegant in itself, a win-win, but on the palate, it is simply a joy to taste and sip, and it has a long life ahead of it. From wild brambly dark fruit to savoury desert scrub laced with licorice and pepper, this is brooding, complex, and will age effortlessly. Brava.