I’ve been looking for a good and affordable red blend to offer up and I found it! The 2018 Tilia Malbec/Syrah scored 91 points with James Suckling and I’m offering this one up at less than 12 bucks!
Tilia is a side project of Catena, Argentina’s most respected producer. And the wines are made with grapes from eastern reaches of Mendoza. All in all, this ripe and smooth blend offers tremendous quality to price ratio. We bought our distributor’s last 150 bottles of this one. Once that’s gone, we move to a new vintage.
2018 Tilia Malbec/Syrah
91 points James Suckling
This vintage is sold out. To order the new vintage, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
When looking for great tasting, low priced wine, it’s always best to seek out the “entry level” wines from a world-class producer. And when it comes to Argentina, I don’t think anyone could dispute the fact that Catena is one of the country’s blue chip producers. And the Tilia wines are made at Bodegas Esmeralda, Catena’s estate in the eastern stretches of Mendoza. Winemaking is handled by Leopoldo Kuschnaroff, the winemaker and viticulturist in charge of all of the family’s vineyards in Eastern Mendoza.
A 50/50 blend of Malbec and Syrah, grapes come from 15 to 70 year old vineyards situated at 2,600 to 4,300 feet in elevation. The combination of old vines and the cooler, elevated vineyard sites results in a wonderfully balanced red wine. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 6 months in French and American oak, this does not look, smell or taste like an under-$10 bottle of red wine. Far from it, it reminds me of many domestic red blends that fetch $20 to $25!
There’s actually a lot going on in the glass on this one. It pours a deep, dark color and the nose is laced with aromas of ripe dark berries, coffee, vanilla and smoke. Full-bodied on the palate, the wine has rich flavors of concentrated cassis, black raspberries, and cranberries with notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, and spice on the long, silky finish.
And James Suckling had similar commentary. “A 50/50 blend with a gently spicy and peppery edge to the brambly blackberries and plums. The palate has a smooth and fluid feel with long tannins, holding bright on the finish. These varieties blend well here.” A perfect wine to pair with burgers, bbq, or pizza, it’s a comfort food’s best friend.
This vintage is sold out. To order the new vintage, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville