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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 211 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by acyso on 12/16/2023 & rated 93 points: Dinner at D Cuisine (Chicago, IL): Only moderate American oak notes here. Black fruit and leather, and only starting to develop secondary characteristics. I quite enjoy the balance here, but knowing how well these wines age this is a wine that will benefit from a few more decades in the cellar. (1503 views) | | | Tasted by MrD on 11/6/2023: Delicious. (1153 views) | | | Tasted by mick978@gmail.com on 10/7/2023 & rated 94 points: Excellent. Still many many years to drink (1258 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 1/14/2023: Spanish fun day one (N&J's place, Canberra): From Coravin. Meaty, savoury, a little baked bean, tomato and tomato leaf initially as well as quite an umami underpin. With time and agitation more red red fruits starts to come through; strawberry especially, with a little herbaceous underpin and plenty of vanilla oak, as well as a little red currant. Sourly juicy, meaty, savoury umami, porcini, concentrated though muted red fruits in support, tannins are drying but silky, textured, all travel long. Hmm. (2581 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 8/22/2022 & rated 90 points: Ample, corsé avec encore un peu d'élevage.
Sur les cerises, les bleuets et le poivre.
Les tannins sont charnus et la
finale super longue nous laisse sur des
relents de tabac.
Encore musclé et bien en forme. (3324 views) | | | Tasted by MrD on 8/21/2022: Delicious! (2068 views) | | | Tasted by lewisrise on 5/7/2022 & rated 96 points: the wine is medium garnett with a medium intensity developed aromas of blackberry , raspberry , wet cedar, mushroom, fig, nutmeg, chocolate, forest floor, and funk. The wine has high alcohol and medium acidity with medium tannins and body. The palate matches the aromas with the addition of tar and tobacco. The complexity of this wine is off the charts and is also quite balanced. This is an outstanding wine that should be drunk now and over the next five years. (2546 views) | | | Tasted by robmatic on 4/2/2022 & rated 93 points: Still young, this is going to be a serious long term wine. (2718 views) | | | Tasted by Poisey on 12/25/2021 & rated 96 points: Big ripe dark cherry with cigar box, cedar, dried tobacco leaf. Smooth and silky. Massive structure but comes across very elegant. Long finish. Integrated silky tannin that lingers perfectly on the finish. Super balanced. Vanilla bean, cherries and lots of green tobacco aftertaste. Classic Ygay, still quite young, but hard to resist. To think this will improve. Drink 2025-2035. (2348 views) | | | Tasted by WilD on 5/7/2021 & rated 94 points: P&P, great experience. Nice traditional old school Rioja flavours, vanilla, blueberries. Great acidity backbone. Dried herbs, very nice old school Rioja. (3253 views) | | | Tasted by ThijsV on 4/2/2021 & rated 94 points: Utregs Wijnhuis proeverij Exclusief (Utrecht): Tasted blind - Deep red with a brick rim. On the nose blackberries, cherries, plum, chocolate and oak. Long finish (3233 views) | | | Tasted by BillBell73 on 1/21/2021: Crumbly, fragile cork so use caution when opening- my other bottles have had the same issue. Still rather vibrant in color with no bricking. The nose is a little muted with cherries and a suggestion of cardamom and cinnamon. On the palate, this is showing the early signs of maturity and the fruit tones have mellowed...lots of dried cherry and fig, a tiny bit of dill pickle remaining from the oak treatment, and that sort of savory spicy leathery note that tempranillo gets with age. I love where this is but can’t wait to try it in a few years when the tertiary earthy flavors really kick in. Excellent rioja! (3208 views) | | | Tasted by ThalesGaspar on 12/24/2020 & rated 93 points: Very complex, a great wine. Needs air! (2972 views) | | | Tasted by lightning on 12/12/2020 & rated 91 points: Clear, vibrant garnet of medium intensity. Clean nose of medium-plus intensity, pronounced secondary characters (dill, dry coconut) and tertiary characters (dried figs and blackberry). Elegant and silky on entry, on the midpalate the wine is meaty and medium-plus bodied with bold raspy tannins, a fine seam of acidity buried deep underground, intense and persistent notes of tar, leather, and red fruits. Long finish. Professionally cellared since release, and quickly double-decanted prior to service, tasted at 16-19 degrees. This one is slightly foresquare and ungiving at the moment and I would wait another 5-10 years for the structure to ease and further tertiary development. Has scope for improvement. Interesting to contrast with Lopez de Heredia, which stylistic is more "Burgundian", the Castillo Ygay is more worked and extracted. Next bottle 2026 or later. (2927 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 10/21/2020: Spanish Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Gamey, funky, bit of wet cardboard, stinky, savoury, a little cherry and strawberry and cherry, alcohol and spice on the nose. Juicy, fleshy, strawberry, loads of tannins that are grainy, non-intrusive alcohol warmth, sweet spice. Defo flaw based on the nose but the palate, though a bit out of whack based on tastings from other bottles, is still not entirely flawed. Hmm. Perhaps the vessel it was decanted into was a bit dirty? Atypical at least. (2526 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 10/9/2020: Riojan investigation (Frank's place in Matraville): From Coravin. Meaty, savoury and gamey with ripe wild strawberry, vanilla, a little alcohol prickle, biscuit, sweet spice. Baked eath with time and a little candy floss note. In the mouth the acid, fruit, tannin balance is just about perfect, warm lick of vanilla on the finish completes a good showing. Yum. (2459 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 7/14/2020: Phil's Birthday tasting (Phil's place, Putney, Sydney): From Coravin. Vanilla, slightly meaty notes, strawberry fruit, a little blackcurrant underpin, tobacco leaf. In the mouth it's juicy, tannins are tight though the strawberry with that tiny blackcurrant underpin show through. Long, rather lovely, still quite primary. (2931 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 7/11/2020: Coravin fun - Rioja new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Woody, slightly baked earth, sweet spice over a melange of baked red fruits, vanilla, cream, gets meatier with time, saovury spcie joins, a little herbaceous underpin. Juicy, rich, red berry compote is a little more savoury here, vanilla, tannins are silky, harmonious, almost a little milk chocolate. Long; very long with alcohol warmth assisting on the finish. Lovely. (2703 views) | | | Tasted by djchango77 on 7/6/2020 & rated 93 points: Enchanting nose; dried fig, cherry, mint tea, a waft of cigar ash with judicious oak and some cured meats.
The mouth delivers cherry fruit with good acid, fresh tannin, dried herbs, black olive and balsamic. There is some prune/fig like fruit on the mid-palate and the finish lasts over 2 minutes.
Having a glass before dinner, but will be pairing with strip steak, mushrooms, turnips & garlic scapes. (2656 views) | | | Tasted by Maphill01 on 1/31/2020: Expressive nose of oak and dark cherry. Same on the palate. Medium high acidity, firm tannins. Notes of leather beginning to emerge. Great with hanger steak. Best with long decant, this is just getting started. (3033 views) | | | Tasted by Fat1Wombat on 1/25/2020 & rated 88 points: A little old school although slightly more modern than previous examples I’ve tasted.
Sour red fruit and elastoplast.
Mid weight. Acid driven structure. (2519 views) | | | Tasted by jwsmith on 1/20/2020 & rated 94 points: Silky smooth elegant enjoyable excellent with food. (2695 views) | | | Tasted by BillBell73 on 12/19/2019: Extremely fragile cork as noted by a previous taster...this needs a Durand, which is surprising considering the relative youth. Very tasty - fresh, sweet, and ample fruit without too much American oak. I like where this wine is at this stage although a little tertiary funk wouldn't hurt. I didn't note any VA as several others have experienced...this was still very primary. Showed positive evolution over the course of a few hours in the decanter. (2617 views) | | | Tasted by AV2012 on 8/6/2019: Some VA and glue, intense and sharp, give it 2h+ in the decanter. (3437 views) | | | Tasted by StasMedvedev.lv on 7/30/2019 & rated 92 points: Marqués de Murrieta (Riga, Latvia): 🏅Rating 92/100 (4,2⭐)
Aromas of dates and other dark dried sweet fruits. Weird association with multivitamin pills and coffee beans. Intriguing with some potential. Hotter vintage wine. (3027 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2016, Issue #61, Recently Tasted Spanish Wines
(Castillo Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva Especial- Marqués de Murrieta) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (1/15/2013)
(Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, September/October 2011, IWC Issue #158
(Bodegas Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Rioja) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of View From the Cellar and The WINEFRONT and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Marqués de Murrieta Producer Website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)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-infoLa Rioja Alta 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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