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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 41 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by djt1956 on 11/12/2023 & rated 93 points: There hasn't been a note on this bottling in a while. For all you out there that still have a bottle or two in your cellar this bottling remains vibrant. Of course, the cork will crumble, but at almost 30 years the wine remains balanced, with raisins, strawberry and oak as the prominate notes. If you have well maintained bottles of this wine, don't discount them, you are in for a treat. (531 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 7/15/2020 & rated 90 points: Cork disintegrated - Durand to the rescue. Wine in excellent condition, fruit has faded but plenty still going on, some tobacco, hint of spice, sandalwood, sightly meaty, enough acidity to keep it fresh. Delicious now but shouldn't fall off a cliff any time soon. Only £18 a few years ago - bit of a bargain! (2694 views) | | | Tasted by ericindc on 6/14/2020 & rated 91 points: Very crumbly cork. Recommend Durand to open. This needed a solid 2 hrs in a decanter to calm down. It was very rich, still alot of oak notes with fig, chocolate, and raisin notes until about 2 hrs. Then the dried fruit component faded and sweeter fruit appeared long with more mature earth, mushroom and cocoa. Relatively integrated tannins and good acidity. Medium body. Nice bottle, if they are well stored, this wine should last a good deal longer. (2686 views) | | | Tasted by djt1956 on 8/10/2019: High shoulder fill. Crumbling cork. Maderized, oxidized wine. Shame. (3213 views) | | | Tasted by AV2012 on 8/6/2019 & rated 92 points: Now we are talking! Coffee, mildly creamy palate, smoky, fragrant, zephyr on the nose. Soft herbal note to it, beauty. (3254 views) | | | Tasted by StasMedvedev.lv on 7/30/2019 & rated 90 points: Marqués de Murrieta (Riga, Latvia): 🏅Rating 90/100 (4,0⭐)
Fragrant. Intense perfumed wine. Iron. Somewhat reductive. We guessed it comes from the long time contact of the wine with the sediment in the bottle. Fades away rather quickly. (3051 views) | | | Tasted by GonzaloManzaneda on 4/26/2018 & rated 85 points: Botella en muy buen estado de conservación por lo que respecta al apsecto exterior. Vino hasta arriba y corcho, una vez sin cápsula, en perfecto estado.
Abierto con abridor de aire de forma fácil. Corcho entero, elástico y tintado hasta la mitad.
En nariz es interesante, notas de tabaco, fresas secas, incienso, eucaristía.
En boca tiene un ataque demasiado ácido, roza casi, casi el picado. Tanino totalmente integrado. Postgusto agradable con algo de astringencia. (2583 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 9/2/2017 & rated 89 points: Best cork and fill out of all of these, probably why I saved it for last. Still, though, browning rim, sweet cherry pipe tobacco, a touch lactic, juicy and pleasantly sweet-tart with dried strawberries. Pretty good. (3799 views) | | | Tasted by rayq on 4/15/2017 & rated 87 points: Garnet colour, no bricking at the edge. No sign of age in the colour or on the nose. Nose is correct, no flaws, on the palate there's faded fruit and secondary development but no sign of the lovely aged Rioja taste profile. There's some sour/tart cherry notes which would be ok if there was something else there in the attack but sadly there is not. It is, in fact, rather dull and boring. Not convinced more time will do anything for this. (3713 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 1/25/2017 & rated 90 points: Awful, awful corks on these. They're either dry and brittle or completely soaked through and weeping. This bottle was very base neck and seeping but still enjoyable with tons of sweet Ygay fruit, juicy acidity, and pleasant aromatics. A tinge of brown and starting to show vestiges of oxidation though. Drink up if ullage is changing. (4041 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 2/21/2016 & rated 89 points: Cherry and bright sappy acidity; nicely balanced with a gentle warm finish. Good value for the £18 I paid. (4529 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 1/24/2016 & rated 90 points: Blind Tasting at Roy's: Blind at Roy's: Dried cherry, cranberry, slight raisin notes with tomatoe, dried herbs, and slight baking spices and a nuance of caramel from some used oak; V.A. evident, moderate body, kinda watery texture with moderate tannins, and high acid. Guessed '99 Burg 1er cru. This didn't have the 10 y.o. Rioja character of dill and suntan lotion, but thought this was excellent later with brick oven pizza! (4116 views) | | | Tasted by christhewino on 1/8/2016 & rated 92 points: Wow! This was still fresh, but so so smooth. Lovely dark fruit aromas and a lengthy palate of smooth dark cherry, liquorice and a little pepper. (3445 views) | | | Tasted by Rollerball on 12/16/2014 & rated 87 points: Mid-life and well-built, if a little asymmetrical. Good with pork sausages, garlic bread, and pesto-garnished pumpkin soup. (3615 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 10/30/2014 & rated 85 points: Strawberry, pickle, vanilla, raw peanut nose. Lots of acidity, a touch balsamic, coconut, oak tannin, sickly palate where raw wood seems to be taking over. Very different from my last bottle and not very appealing. (4156 views) | | | Tasted by Dabolts on 5/8/2014 & rated 90 points: Amazing nose and an interesting palate. Flat up front with plenty of spice on the back. Bought this bottle at winex and drank it with some spicy sausages and smoked Gouda. It will last but it is drinking pretty well now. (2985 views) | | | Tasted by Maff on 12/26/2013 & rated 90 points: Superb - years left (3046 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomark on 7/28/2013 & rated 90 points: Still developing but growing into a spectacular RIoja with good red & black fruits, leather/cigar hints starting to show, some vanilla oakiness around a strawberry jam. Good now and lots of time to improve. PV Spain group (3117 views) | | | Tasted by thirstyman on 7/19/2013: Very spicy nose. Dusty with plenty of fruit. May actually need a little more time. Excellent (2203 views) | | | Tasted by GBFan on 6/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Attractive dried cherry nose; a bit one-dimensional. Very ready to drink, but can keep for a long time; no sign of age. Good fruit, fairly soft on the palate. Not spectacular, but a lovely, round wine. (1977 views) | | | Tasted by sawira on 4/20/2013 & rated 93 points: Wow. Double decanted for two hours prior to enjoying over Spanish baked salmon. Started out shrill and thin during the decant, then blossoming over dinner to a deep, beautifully proportioned, stylish, and superbly complex, tertiary laden, Bordeaux styled beauty. Must try to find more. The equivant of a left bank claret for three times the tariff. Good for another decade plus, not sure it will improve though. 93 pts pure quality, 95 pts personal preference. (2604 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 3/24/2013 & rated 91 points: Medium dark red violet color; appealing, dried berry, herbs, anise nose; youthful, a little tight, dried cherry, garrigue, anise, dried berry, dill palate; could use 3-4 more years aging; medium-plus finish 91+ points (693 views) | | | Tasted by pian0_player on 3/10/2013 & rated 93 points: Absolutely lovely. Complex and elegant flavors of red fruit, tobacco, mineral, and earth. Reminded me of a lighter bodied Bordeaux. Excellent value at $60. Highly recommended. (3320 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 3/2/2013 & rated 92 points: Opened with cork pop. Spicy, dill, raspberry, kraut nose. Pretty exuberant house style, with fresh berries, sour acidity, ripping palate that sings with food. I love these. (2777 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 2/24/2013 & rated 89 points: Very traditional, cherry fruit, spices and a long warm finish. (1754 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Marqués de Murrieta Producer Website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay ReservaViñedos Propios:
Situados en nuestra Finca Ygay. Los viñedos de Ygay ocupan una superficie de 300 hectáreas circundantes a la bodega, en la Rioja Alta, con una diferencia de altitud desde los 320 metros a los 485 metros.
Variedades de Uva:
93% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 2% Graciano, 1% Garnacha.
Vendimia Manual: Del 2 al 23 de octubre.
Vinificación:
Los racimos se despalillan y estrujan suavemente. Las variedades fermentan por separado en depósitos de acero inoxidable, con control de temperatura. El encubado tiene una duración de 8 días durante los cuales se realizan remontados y bazuqueos, para favorecer el contacto del mosto con los hollejos y provocar una lenta y natural extracción de aromas y polifenoles. Tras la fermentación las partes sólidas de la uva son prensadas en prensas verticales, mediante un proceso suave y lento que favorece la extracción del color y taninos maduros que residen en el hollejo.
Proceso de Crianza:
Criado durante 21 meses en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros de capacidad, de los cuales 8 meses los pasa en barrica nueva y finaliza su crianza con un redondeo de 24 meses en botella.Tempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
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