Price: $9
Winery: Tilia, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, screw cap
Alcohol: 13.9%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Perhaps the strongest appeal of Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is the ripe berry and licorice nose. On the palate, it combines cherry, red berry, and woody notes with an reasonably long finish. It’s on the light side for a Cab, though I didn’t really see the sweetness that a few reviewers noticed. This Cab definitely improves with some air. Despite aerating and a little breathing, the first sips were a bit harsh and not all that flavorful. An hour or two later, the wine was more pleasant and pleasantly drinkable. At first taste, I was thinking a sub-8.0 rating on my personal scale of 10, but after the wine sat for a while I found it more to my liking.
Wine & Spirits rated this wine an amazing 91. Not all wine bloggers agree. Jason’s Wine Blog said, “I’m not sure how Wine & Spirits got to 91 points on this one. Perhaps they were having a rough day in the tasting room. That said this is a perfectly drinkable everyday wine at a nice price point.” K&L Wines called it, “a cheap and cheerful reminder that cab from Argentina, when well made, presents good value.” Wine75 was less enthused, calling it “very harsh and tart.”
Like Jason, I’m a bit skeptical of the 91 point rating from Wine & Spirits. (Maybe it was a very GOOD day in the tasting room!) But, if you give it a while to breathe, Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 will serve as a pleasant table wine or for other light-duty quaffing.
Thanks for the mention! That’s the great thing about wine, everyone’s interpretation of wine is different.
Not only that, different bottles can vary a lot depending on how they were shipped and stored. In Texas, if you leave your wine sitting in the car on a hot, sunny day it can get damaged fairly quickly.
Picked up a bottle of Novella 09 Cabernet Sauvignon(Paso Robles) today for $4.99.
Described as having “Aromas of blackberry and plum leading to an elegant structure and classic varietal flavor of black cherry and cassis.” Don’t you just love wine speak hyperbole? Anyway, for the uninitiated that means GOOD. And at this price, a very nice Cab with fruity aroma and a long finish. Highly recommend.