A quick superficial search reveals that:
Ilaria is an Italian female given name, equivalent to the English names Hilary or Hillary. Ilaria is derived from the Latin hilarius meaning "cheerful", from hilaris, "cheerful, merry".
A lovely sentiment to read, especially when there is so little to be cheerful or merry about these days. Our local big box store stocked this for the first time last month. I was saving up for one of the higher end Catenas also new in stock, but with all of the Catena coverage we've had as of late, I can delay it a bit longer. Besides, no one in my area has the slightest clue about Catena or malbec anyway, so it will be there for a bit.
Anyways, what we have here is an 80/20 blend of Malbec and Cab, respectively (why is it that so few American vineyards will go 100% Malbec?), aged 22 months in French oak...so no doubt we will have some familiarity with what we are about to decant.
Nose: Graphite with a bit of rich blackberry, cassis and violet. Earthier and less fruit influence the second and third sniffs. With a bit of time, the graphite recedes and there's more blackberry, joined by blueberry and some plum.
Palate: Arrives as on the nose but with notes of licorice, pepper and oak finally arriving with subsequent sips. Quite approachable, medium-bodied, decent acidity and ripe tannins. As it sits everything comes together nicely, maintaining a balance between the fruit and earthy elements.
Finish: Enduring and patient. The balance shifts in favor of pepper and oak at first, but the black fruit returns in a big way, building slowly until the end.
It is on the higher end of the price scale. But much to my surprise, it is accurately priced for a domestic Malbec. Far too many US vineyards put too high a price tag on Malbec for what you're actually getting. It is different here.
$47