Les Equilibrists
Perfectly Balancing Flavor and Value
July 1, 2025
“A series of fine, elegant and fruity single-varietal wines.
These are vibrant "palate pleasers.” Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
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Two young French wine lovers had set up a cooperative in which they help shape wines with select small growers from off-the-beaten-path France. They call themselves Equilibrists, tightrope walkers. That describes part of what they do, they' dare to find new expressions of stodgy older vines and walk the finr balance
Implying more than tightrope walkers, Equilibrists carries the sense of equiibium, of balancing, and they excel with that in wine. And here the Equilibrists excel, They are pleasing and dynamic at surprisingly low prices.
How they do it is simple but not easy. They are minimalists in both vineyard and cellar, often biodynamic and fermenting with native yeasts in neutral barrels using as little sulfur as possible. They get interesting, individual wines that let the grape and land express themselves, which are a pleasure to imbibe.
This white and red are great light-hearted examples of their craft and will make for tasty summer drinking this summer.
White
2024 Picpoul de Pinet
In Languedoc, the Picpoul grape was named “lip stinger” because of its past harsh, unripe acidity. Not now, and especially not from the Balancers. Limestone in the soil supplies a saline note. They harvest only when the grapes are golden-ripe for succulent fruit. .Six months aging on the lees makes the wine an expansive, mouth-filling.
2024 Les Equilibristes Picpoul de Pinet ; Aroma: full, fat, bright acid, , firm, lightly herbaceous; Mouth: bright clean sweet fruit, very ripe, a muted lightly saline tropical fruit note, fleshy and broad,; Very Good Plus $21; Case, $17.99
Red
2023 Bisbille
This comes from Cabardes, near Carcassonne, where France’s vinous Mediterranean meets its Atlantic. The grapes meld the two; Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded and made fruitier by Grenache, In the cellar, each grape variety undergoes a short maceration and ferments separately using indigenous yeasts.
The wine has aromas of black cherry and currant, and subtle floral notes. It’s velvety on the palate with well-integrated tannins and a fresh acidity.
It is not as heavy to pair with the region’s famous cassoulet, but cooled down will be fun and enjoyable with a good barbecue.
2023 Les Equilibristes Bisbille; Aroma: spicy and forward, bright, intriguing violet note; Mouth: clean fleshy, deep , fruit round mouthdfilling dark fruit, intense fine light acid and tannin to offset the fruit; Very Good Plus $17.99; Case, $15.29
Mix any twelve or more at their case prices
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Len Rothenberg
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