Initial vanilla notes give way to spices and cinnamon. Really transforms with 30-60mins in the glass (and needs it). Tart cranberry opens to raspberry and a lovely richness with hints of flower and spice. Not big, but elegant and long. Great with rare sirloin tonight. Will improve to 2030 and drink to 2045. Seems underrated here, but really needs food to shine. 94-96pts
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Very pure sour cranberry. Popular at the table but lacking in complexity. Great pairing with duck but didn’t move me, and I moved on…. 93pts? More notes with next bottles
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With FC and AW at Hispania. Open nose, blackcurrant fruit, touch of meat, slight metallic edge now and then, soft and harmonious on the palate, soil notes, touch of tobacco, fresh acids, good length finish. Mature.
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Blind. Full and bright mid ruby. Just a hint of garnet at the rim. Stylistically quite different from the previous two reds with quite a pronounced spicy, peppery grippy red fruit to it. Wondered about Bierzo, or even a slightly younger Ribera. Clearly a lot younger than the previous two, but colour puts it around the mid to late 80s. Ok, so when reveal, that all makes sense. This is a relative youngster and could well have seemed a bit international in its youth, but it’s heading towards classical Rioja now. Quite a dense mid palate texture and long finish. Excellent. ****
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(Mostly) Spanish dinner (Chicago, IL): Incredibly young for a wine of 33 years. So much fruit and intensity, with moderate American oak notes. Fairly clean for Rioja, and perhaps in its youth it might have even been accused of being polished. But now, there's just a little earthiness from age complementing the fruit.
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Online Blind Tasting #11: *** Note is based on 2x0,1l bottles filled about 2 days before the tasting from 0,75l bottle *** Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah / Zalto Universal Clear, medium garnet color with a tawny rim. Way better Nose and palate in the Zalto than in the Riedel glass. Clean, medium+ intense, fully developed nose. Tobacco, dried herbs, tiny bit of lovage, tar, menthol. Mature and complex. Dry, high, almost racy acidity at the edge of being extreme. 13% abv. High, fine, mellow tannin. On the palate some fine red fruit, tobacco, menthol, dried herbs, very mineral, iodine. Elegant, juicy, good balance, fine texture. Lean body. Long, very elegant finish with fine red fruit, herbs and tobacco. In the bigger glass certainly past peak, in the Zalto still very joyful. 92-93
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Nariz clásica de Rioja entrado en años. Con fruta roja todavía muy presente. Tanino totalmente pulido, no está en decadencia pero hay que beberlo en los próximos años. Retrogusto espectacular, largo y sedoso.
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Corked. Used ceran wrap to get rid of corkage, worked almost, but still only partially, so a note wouldn't be fair. It is drinkable and I would give it an 89 now, but probably lower 90s when in good condition.
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Flagship wine of bodega. This is the most modern style wine of all MdMs. An effort of the new owners who acquired estate in late 80s to move away from very traditionalist heritage by introducing more French oak to produce fruitier wines. This one has stewed fruits. Sweet ripeness. Rich and generous wine with ideal balance of acidity. Elegant wine at its 30 years age. At its drinking peak now.
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A very fine bottle. Surprisingly dark colour for such an old wine, quite youthful on the palate. Cedar, chocolate, tart fruit notes, held together well and has much life ahead.
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A good but not great Rioja with strongly oxidized, tertiary flavors and high acidity. A little bit of tart cherry is about all you’ll get in the way of fruit. This will need food to show best.
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Wonderful nose, mushrooms, sweet red fruit, forest floor, hints of vanilla, spices. On the palate fresh, lots of acidity, soft tannic grip, very well balanced, vibrant, maybe a bit linear, but delicious. Really good length. Drinking well, but no rush. 91-93
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1989 MARQUES de MURRIETA CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL RIOJA- mature dried plum and black cherry were most prominent; it was really grapey, mindful of Welch`s grape juice at communion in childhood days with a bit less sweetness; there was hints of tobacco, spice, leather and smoke, but the fruit profile dominated; I`m thinking this was a bottle variation.
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Somewhat developed, translucent cherry color with a noticeable, nutty maroon hue. Developed and quite much aged nose with aromas of dusty earth, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of pungent, aldehydic oxidation and hints of cellar that wax and wane. There are constant suspicions whether the wine is corked or not and we never come to any conclusion - the wine at times seems quite representative of the style and at times muted and mouldy, as if hit by a case of TCA. Go figure. The wine is medium-bodied and lively, yet still somewhat oxidized on the palate with mature flavors of sweet dried fruits, sour cherries, raisin, some earthiness, light bitterness, a little bit of aldehydic salinity, a hint of smoke and a touch of strawberry. The wine is moderately high in acidity with very mellow tannins. The finish is smoky, wizened and a bit oxidized with long and complex flavors of salt-cured beef, earth, some pungent acetaldehyde, a little bit of raw cocoa and a hint of raisin.
A good but definitely over-aged Ygay Gran Reserva. I'm not sure whether this was representative of the wine or if the cork had only leaked. Whatever the case, the wine was thoroughly enjoyable, but it was also very obvious that the wine was far beyond its peak and going downhill. Most likely the wine had been very nice some years ago, but now only a withering skeleton of a wine remained. I rate the wine because it was still drinkable and even enjoyable - at least to some extent - but one should also remember, that this score most probably isn't representative of the wine at its best.
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Four decades of Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (@Home): Glass: Riedel Sommelier BDX No formal notes taken. Deep garnet color. Wonderful nose with lots of tobacco, leather, oak and spices. High acidity, which is perfectly integrated. Compared to the 1978 it has a bit more of everything: fruit, elegance, complexity. At its peak, beautiful wine.
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This was astringent and had a whiff of oxidation when first opened, but a three-hour decant settled the wine down and it drank deliciously of the course of an evening. A lovely mix of sweet and savoury, with a lingering finish.
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Delicious Rioja with lingering acidity, lovely red fruits and rich fragrant. Medium body and a classical feminine structure. Should be able to keep for at least 5 years but very ready now.
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Rioja de estilo clásico, terciario, resultón, maduro, de buena intensidad aunque de un estilo que en muy poco recuerda a los antiguos Castillo Ygay. Al abrir rezuma maderas finas y cremosos, ahumados, vainilla, y una cantidad cada vez más presente de fruta roja reducida, mondadura de naranja, orejones, que con el tiempo va adquiriendo un potente matiz vegetal a menta seca, hojas de té, hiedra... Gana en amplitud y registros especiados, canela, cueros y un tostado intenso que va cubriéndolo todo. Acaba apalancado en las habituales notas de establo, de humedad, térreos. Agradable pero sin la dosis de complejidad que nos gustaría encontrar
En boca lo mejor es la nerviosa acidez que encaja perfectamente en su carácter frágil y fresco. Taninos pulidos, sabroso, con un ligero tostado y cremoso muy grato de beber. Hay especias, amargosos finos, y la sensación de estar ante un vino ya hecho, redondo, que no pide más espera. Quizás haya llegado ya su mejor momento. Las dos botellas que nos quedan van a caer en unos días. Mejor de lo esperado.
- - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 13% mazuelo, 10% garnacha tinta, 2% graciano - 13% vol. Selección de uvas procedentes del pago La Plana, en la zona más elevada de la Finca Ygay, a 485 metros de altitud. Fermentación de cada variedad por separado en depósitos de acero inoxidable de 30.000 litros con temperatura controlada. Encubado entre 20 y 25 días para provocar el máximo contacto entre hollejos y mosto para extraer el carácter varietal de cada uva, con continuos remontados y bazuqueos. Sometido a 48 meses de crianza en barricas nuevas y usadas de roble americano de 225 litros. Un mínimo de 36 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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This Rioja is now 25 years old - color is dark red with long legs; nose with leather and graphite; taste very complex and spicy with dried fruits and ripe berries; Rioja at its best - all the tannins are round now - the wine is smooth with a medium finish - will last 3-5 more years in this shape
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Uno de los mejores vinos que he bebido ultimamente, ese perfil riojano elevado a la maxima potencia, elegancia a raduales y absolutamente ready to drink.
Complejisima y cambiante nariz, cerezas, humedad del bosque en otoño, especias dulces espolvoreadas. Se va abriendo y tu no puedes parar de esnifar. Todo tamizado por ese perfil de clase, distinción.
La boca es un zumo, suave, fresca, placentera, vertical y horizontal en su justa medida. Tanino fundido como pocos. Creo que lo cogimos en su momento.
La botella cayó sin darnos cuenta y la comida casi molestaba, no digo más.
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Nose: Opens with a mature Pinot noir like nose, in the "darker fruit corner". Then gradually moves towards raspberries, while in parallel (sadly enough) starting to display a light streak of cork. Taste & palate: medium light bodied (in the rather traditional Rioja style), "long" taste (& aftertaste). Nice freshness (acidity) and medium mature fruitiness. Quite "juicy" and a good food wine. Unfortunately also here slightly dulled by the light cork taint, adding a little bitterness and somehow (seaming to) taking the edge off the fruit. Will probably develop for quite a while, although difficult to say exactly how long. Should however keep and develop well at least over the next 3-5 years.
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Deep, darkish, quite intense colour, rather high viscozity. Barnyard aromas, lots of red berries, jam. On the palate - sweet, lovely jammy, black cherry, Black chokeberry (aronia). Very deep and intense nose, some vanilla. I haven't used this word before in my TN, but this wine indeed was hedonistic. Big. I expected this to be more of an "traditional style", but to me it seemed modern, but nevertheless superbly enjoyable. (A-)
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Color holding up well with very little hint of brown. Beautiful nose. Anise, bright fruit. Shame that on the palate acidity dominates the fruit and mid-length finish. Built for longevity - potentially several more years in this, but I doubt if the acidity will soften before the whole wine fades. I find myself wondering how this style would work with Yarra or Washington fruit
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Effusive nose of berry, anise, bacon, caramel, strawberry balsamic, VA, musky old wood, and ancient perfume. Ripping acidity, savory, caramel, smoke palate that is silky and lip-smacking. Great presence aromatically and long after you swallow. Distinctly volatile and almost too sharp but really quite nice.
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Tasted double blind... Nose of licorice and anise, hints of mint, some pleasant oaky notes, reminds me of a classy Priorat bouquet. On the palate, this is marked by tons of acidity with the fruit playing second fiddle. Clearly some age here, with a resolved, velvetly mouthfeel. Would be outstanding if the acidity were reigned in.
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An aristocrat of a wine; just enough fruit sweetness to balance the high acidity, serious, deep and complex, very impressive. Leather, vanilla (but no woodiness as such), dark fruit, overall fine harmony.
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Raspberry, clean saddle, sandalwood, old barrel nose showing a fair bit of VA, incense, and citrus peel notes. High-toned, rich, incisive palate that is elegant, savory, complex, poised and beautiful. Old cedar, spice, and exotic perfume lingers long after the wine is gone. This is stunning without food and transcendent with grilled meats. Wow.
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From 750 ml bottle. Not tatsed blind. Surprisingly healthy, this is typical old style Rioja. Acidic, light bodied, dominated by caramel and offering only dried fruit aromas. This is not my cup of tea, given the lack of fresh fruit and overly tart palate, but it wasn't as horrible as I expected either.
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Medium ruby color with some bricking at the edge. A little funk on the nose at first that blew off after 30 minutes or so. Then stewed fruit, oak, and earth on the nose -- old-style Rioja, which I love. Baked cherry and strawberry fruit, oak, and smokeon the palate, with good acidity and little tannin. I've had better bottles of this, but it was still excellent. Time to drink up, however, as it's on its down side.
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Sour and a bit thin. Failed to improve over 2 hours. Not up there with the great Ygays. Best with black pepper corns - could have been good with daube provencale. 87P
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Occasional tasting group: Extensive Top Spain tasting. (@ PVa): In general an ok bouquet with earthy and raspberry smells, but when you inhale deep there is some ammonia as well. On the palate unripe raspberries and a lot of acidity. A bit too much for my taste. The color is still vital. Some say this wine needs more time.
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Double-decanted an hour before serving - make that 2 hours next time. Bright colour with bricking at the rim. Noticeable volatile acidity which subsided in the glass, giving way to a very fresh nose and mouth of crushed red fruit and stawberry sorbet, with a moderate finish. Oak and tannins fully resolved but the fruit is still lively and kept dancing by the fresh acidity.
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Deep red-orange color with an overt nose of dill (American oak?) framing notes of red fruit, tobacco, and smoked game. On the palate, the dill dominates, making this very hard for me to enjoy. This character softened with the leftovers the next day, giving me some hope that this might one day be a good "old wine".
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Nice nose of raspberries, vanilla and a little mocha. In the glass, good acidity, high toned without being volatile; bricky red rim but a good garnet core, raspberries come through in the flavour strongly. This tastes like quite a fruit driven wine, light to medium and with moderate length, but there is not much complexity here - a bit of oak but not much else. This still tastes quite youthful though is certainly quite drinkable now. Not as good as I remember either the 75 or 87 from a few years ago to be. Drink or hold.
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Rubi acastanhado com poucos sedimentos finos, aromas complexos e sutis de aceto balsamico, floral, madeira velha úmida, oxidação e liquirizia. Média acidez, taninos finos e ainda bastante perceptíveis, muito evoluído, com final longo e agradável. Excelente.
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I think my last bottle of this. I was a little hesitant about bringing this- I liked the first release of this, but some very VA-dominated bottles appeared en masse in NYC a few years ago- I wasn't sure if this was from first batch or my repurchase. Some bottle funk, and some noticable VA. But the VA stays within my tolerance level, just a very lifted nose. Sweet red cherry and plum fruit with a tiny dash of spice on the palate, good acidty. Pulls itself together nicely at end when the volatile acidity has faded. B+
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Scarsdale Spain Offline (Meritage Restaurant in Scarsdale): Slightly funky, brownish nose with a touch of must initially. Silky and gentle, a touch musty. I kept this in a glass for another 2 hours, trying periodically. Gradually this grew, and started getting much better. Around 30 minutes, it was coming together nicely, with cherries predominant. Continued to improve for a bit past an hour, getting quite nice at its best. Really filled in nicely and became a lovely Rioja for a brief period, before settling back down to being merely nice.
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Very tasty wine! It is starting to show a mature side, but at the very early stages. Seems like a long runner for sure at this point. Currently, lovely sweet fruit with fantastic acidity to push it through. Starting to lose its young fat. Very lively. Complex with loads of personality. After 5 hours was still singing load and clear with beautiful notes! Definitely old style Rioja. Keep for now.. will get better!
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This is what I call a conservative Rioja. A very complex nose. Biting acidity immediately after opening, giving way to a well-integrated set of sensations on the palate, plum and spices. Eventually the acidity recedes only to make itself felt during the long and pleasant finish of this wine. Enjoyed in excellent company, not reflected in my score.
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Medium garnet. Cherry-ish nose with some vanilla. Good clean attack. Decent fruit. Touch spirity. Big tannins on finish. Very unimpressive. Must be a duff bottle, but there's no obvious fault.
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2/23/2024 - eagreni wrote:
Corked
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9/29/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 95 Points
Initial vanilla notes give way to spices and cinnamon. Really transforms with 30-60mins in the glass (and needs it). Tart cranberry opens to raspberry and a lovely richness with hints of flower and spice. Not big, but elegant and long. Great with rare sirloin tonight. Will improve to 2030 and drink to 2045. Seems underrated here, but really needs food to shine. 94-96pts
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8/17/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 93 Points
Very pure sour cranberry. Popular at the table but lacking in complexity. Great pairing with duck but didn’t move me, and I moved on…. 93pts? More notes with next bottles
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4/21/2023 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
With FC and AW at Hispania. Open nose, blackcurrant fruit, touch of meat, slight metallic edge now and then, soft and harmonious on the palate, soil notes, touch of tobacco, fresh acids, good length finish. Mature.
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10/29/2022 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Blind. Full and bright mid ruby. Just a hint of garnet at the rim. Stylistically quite different from the previous two reds with quite a pronounced spicy, peppery grippy red fruit to it. Wondered about Bierzo, or even a slightly younger Ribera. Clearly a lot younger than the previous two, but colour puts it around the mid to late 80s. Ok, so when reveal, that all makes sense. This is a relative youngster and could well have seemed a bit international in its youth, but it’s heading towards classical Rioja now. Quite a dense mid palate texture and long finish. Excellent. ****
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9/4/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
(Mostly) Spanish dinner (Chicago, IL): Incredibly young for a wine of 33 years. So much fruit and intensity, with moderate American oak notes. Fairly clean for Rioja, and perhaps in its youth it might have even been accused of being polished. But now, there's just a little earthiness from age complementing the fruit.
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1/7/2022 - Alex Barbera wrote: 91 Points
Leider schon sehr dünn und dafür immer noch viel Säure. Überwiegend eigentlich.
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1/6/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Online Blind Tasting #11: *** Note is based on 2x0,1l bottles filled about 2 days before the tasting from 0,75l bottle ***
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah / Zalto Universal
Clear, medium garnet color with a tawny rim. Way better Nose and palate in the Zalto than in the Riedel glass. Clean, medium+ intense, fully developed nose. Tobacco, dried herbs, tiny bit of lovage, tar, menthol. Mature and complex.
Dry, high, almost racy acidity at the edge of being extreme. 13% abv. High, fine, mellow tannin. On the palate some fine red fruit, tobacco, menthol, dried herbs, very mineral, iodine. Elegant, juicy, good balance, fine texture. Lean body. Long, very elegant finish with fine red fruit, herbs and tobacco. In the bigger glass certainly past peak, in the Zalto still very joyful. 92-93
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2/14/2021 - GonzaloManzaneda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nariz clásica de Rioja entrado en años. Con fruta roja todavía muy presente. Tanino totalmente pulido, no está en decadencia pero hay que beberlo en los próximos años.
Retrogusto espectacular, largo y sedoso.
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3/15/2020 - bobbylion wrote:
Corked. Used ceran wrap to get rid of corkage, worked almost, but still only partially, so a note wouldn't be fair. It is drinkable and I would give it an 89 now, but probably lower 90s when in good condition.
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8/6/2019 - AV2012 wrote: 91 Points
Sweet, giving, lovely typical smokiness to it, there's oak and classic vanilla as well.
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7/30/2019 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Marqués de Murrieta (Riga, Latvia): 🏅Rating 93/100 (4,3⭐)
Flagship wine of bodega. This is the most modern style wine of all MdMs. An effort of the new owners who acquired estate in late 80s to move away from very traditionalist heritage by introducing more French oak to produce fruitier wines. This one has stewed fruits. Sweet ripeness. Rich and generous wine with ideal balance of acidity. Elegant wine at its 30 years age. At its drinking peak now.
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1/27/2019 - rube237 wrote: 93 Points
A very fine bottle. Surprisingly dark colour for such an old wine, quite youthful on the palate. Cedar, chocolate, tart fruit notes, held together well and has much life ahead.
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11/14/2018 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
A good but not great Rioja with strongly oxidized, tertiary flavors and high acidity. A little bit of tart cherry is about all you’ll get in the way of fruit. This will need food to show best.
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10/9/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful nose, mushrooms, sweet red fruit, forest floor, hints of vanilla, spices. On the palate fresh, lots of acidity, soft tannic grip, very well balanced, vibrant, maybe a bit linear, but delicious. Really good length. Drinking well, but no rush. 91-93
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7/7/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 88 Points
1989 MARQUES de MURRIETA CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL RIOJA- mature dried plum and black cherry were most prominent; it was really grapey, mindful of Welch`s grape juice at communion in childhood days with a bit less sweetness; there was hints of tobacco, spice, leather and smoke, but the fruit profile dominated; I`m thinking this was a bottle variation.
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6/21/2017 - forceberry wrote: 85 Points
Somewhat developed, translucent cherry color with a noticeable, nutty maroon hue. Developed and quite much aged nose with aromas of dusty earth, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of pungent, aldehydic oxidation and hints of cellar that wax and wane. There are constant suspicions whether the wine is corked or not and we never come to any conclusion - the wine at times seems quite representative of the style and at times muted and mouldy, as if hit by a case of TCA. Go figure. The wine is medium-bodied and lively, yet still somewhat oxidized on the palate with mature flavors of sweet dried fruits, sour cherries, raisin, some earthiness, light bitterness, a little bit of aldehydic salinity, a hint of smoke and a touch of strawberry. The wine is moderately high in acidity with very mellow tannins. The finish is smoky, wizened and a bit oxidized with long and complex flavors of salt-cured beef, earth, some pungent acetaldehyde, a little bit of raw cocoa and a hint of raisin.
A good but definitely over-aged Ygay Gran Reserva. I'm not sure whether this was representative of the wine or if the cork had only leaked. Whatever the case, the wine was thoroughly enjoyable, but it was also very obvious that the wine was far beyond its peak and going downhill. Most likely the wine had been very nice some years ago, but now only a withering skeleton of a wine remained. I rate the wine because it was still drinkable and even enjoyable - at least to some extent - but one should also remember, that this score most probably isn't representative of the wine at its best.
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11/18/2016 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Four decades of Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (@Home): Glass: Riedel Sommelier BDX
No formal notes taken. Deep garnet color. Wonderful nose with lots of tobacco, leather, oak and spices. High acidity, which is perfectly integrated. Compared to the 1978 it has a bit more of everything: fruit, elegance, complexity. At its peak, beautiful wine.
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6/14/2016 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was astringent and had a whiff of oxidation when first opened, but a three-hour decant settled the wine down and it drank deliciously of the course of an evening. A lovely mix of sweet and savoury, with a lingering finish.
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6/13/2016 - burgburgburg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious Rioja with lingering acidity, lovely red fruits and rich fragrant. Medium body and a classical feminine structure. Should be able to keep for at least 5 years but very ready now.
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2/28/2016 - VDLT Wine Does not like this wine:
Second Coming of Pig & Khao Extravaganza (Pig and Khao): Some thought it corked I didn't find that but this surely was lacking and uninteresting.
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10/24/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 91 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2014/10/castillo-ygay-1989-gran-reserva-especial.html
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De color cereza granatoso de capa media-alta, brillante, vivo, limpio. Reflejos rojizos y anaranjados. Sensación de grosor, lágrimas gruesas. Borde mínimo, atejado.
Rioja de estilo clásico, terciario, resultón, maduro, de buena intensidad aunque de un estilo que en muy poco recuerda a los antiguos Castillo Ygay. Al abrir rezuma maderas finas y cremosos, ahumados, vainilla, y una cantidad cada vez más presente de fruta roja reducida, mondadura de naranja, orejones, que con el tiempo va adquiriendo un potente matiz vegetal a menta seca, hojas de té, hiedra... Gana en amplitud y registros especiados, canela, cueros y un tostado intenso que va cubriéndolo todo. Acaba apalancado en las habituales notas de establo, de humedad, térreos. Agradable pero sin la dosis de complejidad que nos gustaría encontrar
En boca lo mejor es la nerviosa acidez que encaja perfectamente en su carácter frágil y fresco. Taninos pulidos, sabroso, con un ligero tostado y cremoso muy grato de beber. Hay especias, amargosos finos, y la sensación de estar ante un vino ya hecho, redondo, que no pide más espera. Quizás haya llegado ya su mejor momento. Las dos botellas que nos quedan van a caer en unos días. Mejor de lo esperado.
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75% tempranillo, 13% mazuelo, 10% garnacha tinta, 2% graciano - 13% vol.
Selección de uvas procedentes del pago La Plana, en la zona más elevada de la Finca Ygay, a 485 metros de altitud. Fermentación de cada variedad por separado en depósitos de acero inoxidable de 30.000 litros con temperatura controlada. Encubado entre 20 y 25 días para provocar el máximo contacto entre hollejos y mosto para extraer el carácter varietal de cada uva, con continuos remontados y bazuqueos. Sometido a 48 meses de crianza en barricas nuevas y usadas de roble americano de 225 litros. Un mínimo de 36 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado.
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6/1/2014 - danmann Likes this wine: 91 Points
Terrific Rioja, drank perfectly at 25 years old. Beautiful raisin notes and well integrated tannins. Wish I had another bottle.
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5/29/2014 - thomasjjackson Likes this wine: 90 Points
This Rioja is now 25 years old - color is dark red with long legs; nose with leather and graphite; taste very complex and spicy with dried fruits and ripe berries; Rioja at its best - all the tannins are round now - the wine is smooth with a medium finish - will last 3-5 more years in this shape
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5/25/2014 - burgburgburg Likes this wine: 91 Points
A pure and classical Rioja. Wonderful fruits with some mushrooms and good acidity. Superb QPR!
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5/15/2014 - JimmyBubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Uno de los mejores vinos que he bebido ultimamente, ese perfil riojano elevado a la maxima potencia, elegancia a raduales y absolutamente ready to drink.
Complejisima y cambiante nariz, cerezas, humedad del bosque en otoño, especias dulces espolvoreadas. Se va abriendo y tu no puedes parar de esnifar. Todo tamizado por ese perfil de clase, distinción.
La boca es un zumo, suave, fresca, placentera, vertical y horizontal en su justa medida. Tanino fundido como pocos. Creo que lo cogimos en su momento.
La botella cayó sin darnos cuenta y la comida casi molestaba, no digo más.
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4/11/2014 - SAND wrote: flawed
Nose: Opens with a mature Pinot noir like nose, in the "darker fruit corner". Then gradually moves towards raspberries, while in parallel (sadly enough) starting to display a light streak of cork.
Taste & palate: medium light bodied (in the rather traditional Rioja style), "long" taste (& aftertaste). Nice freshness (acidity) and medium mature fruitiness. Quite "juicy" and a good food wine. Unfortunately also here slightly dulled by the light cork taint, adding a little bitterness and somehow (seaming to) taking the edge off the fruit.
Will probably develop for quite a while, although difficult to say exactly how long. Should however keep and develop well at least over the next 3-5 years.
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10/5/2013 - AV2012 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, darkish, quite intense colour, rather high viscozity. Barnyard aromas, lots of red berries, jam. On the palate - sweet, lovely jammy, black cherry, Black chokeberry (aronia). Very deep and intense nose, some vanilla. I haven't used this word before in my TN, but this wine indeed was hedonistic. Big. I expected this to be more of an "traditional style", but to me it seemed modern, but nevertheless superbly enjoyable. (A-)
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7/13/2013 - jmcmchi wrote: 89 Points
Color holding up well with very little hint of brown. Beautiful nose. Anise, bright fruit. Shame that on the palate acidity dominates the fruit and mid-length finish.
Built for longevity - potentially several more years in this, but I doubt if the acidity will soften before the whole wine fades.
I find myself wondering how this style would work with Yarra or Washington fruit
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2/8/2013 - andtheodor wrote: flawed
5 bottle lot, all cooked.
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2/8/2013 - andtheodor wrote: flawed
Cooked.
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6/4/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Effusive nose of berry, anise, bacon, caramel, strawberry balsamic, VA, musky old wood, and ancient perfume. Ripping acidity, savory, caramel, smoke palate that is silky and lip-smacking. Great presence aromatically and long after you swallow. Distinctly volatile and almost too sharp but really quite nice.
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6/3/2012 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Tasted double blind... Nose of licorice and anise, hints of mint, some pleasant oaky notes, reminds me of a classy Priorat bouquet. On the palate, this is marked by tons of acidity with the fruit playing second fiddle. Clearly some age here, with a resolved, velvetly mouthfeel. Would be outstanding if the acidity were reigned in.
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4/20/2012 - westport wine guy wrote: flawed
Corked bottle
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4/14/2012 - ekallio wrote:
An aristocrat of a wine; just enough fruit sweetness to balance the high acidity, serious, deep and complex, very impressive. Leather, vanilla (but no woodiness as such), dark fruit, overall fine harmony.
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2/29/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 94 Points
Raspberry, clean saddle, sandalwood, old barrel nose showing a fair bit of VA, incense, and citrus peel notes. High-toned, rich, incisive palate that is elegant, savory, complex, poised and beautiful. Old cedar, spice, and exotic perfume lingers long after the wine is gone. This is stunning without food and transcendent with grilled meats. Wow.
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9/16/2011 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Districts and Producers in Spain (My House): Some forest floor, tart, a bit candy and some herbs, elegant.
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9/11/2011 - hcampana wrote: 82 Points
From 750 ml bottle. Not tatsed blind. Surprisingly healthy, this is typical old style Rioja. Acidic, light bodied, dominated by caramel and offering only dried fruit aromas. This is not my cup of tea, given the lack of fresh fruit and overly tart palate, but it wasn't as horrible as I expected either.
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10/2/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Nice and smooth with coffee beans on the nose, long finish and lots of character. Ready to drink today.
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11/11/2009 - stoneb wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby color with some bricking at the edge. A little funk on the nose at first that blew off after 30 minutes or so. Then stewed fruit, oak, and earth on the nose -- old-style Rioja, which I love. Baked cherry and strawberry fruit, oak, and smokeon the palate, with good acidity and little tannin. I've had better bottles of this, but it was still excellent. Time to drink up, however, as it's on its down side.
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10/28/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
Les Degustateurs (Vie Restaurant Western Springs, IL): Great color, bright in the glass, good nose, I thought Bordeaux but it was from Spain. This is a wine to buy
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10/1/2009 - honest bob wrote: 87 Points
Sour and a bit thin. Failed to improve over 2 hours. Not up there with the great Ygays. Best with black pepper corns - could have been good with daube provencale. 87P
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6/10/2009 - Captain Haddock wrote: 90 Points
Drinking beautifully now, this is all red fruits, strawberry and fine acidity. Don't be afraid to give this a bit of air.
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3/8/2009 - luvcards wrote: 89 Points
Still wonderful after all these years but drink up soon.
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2/23/2009 - Zweder wrote: 85 Points
Occasional tasting group: Extensive Top Spain tasting. (@ PVa): In general an ok bouquet with earthy and raspberry smells, but when you inhale deep there is some ammonia as well. On the palate unripe raspberries and a lot of acidity. A bit too much for my taste. The color is still vital. Some say this wine needs more time.
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10/10/2008 - Alex H wrote: 78 Points
Lawrence's Birthday Bash (Guan Hin Restaurant): Brownish brick red tells its age. Amazingly still keeping fairly well for at least the first half hour with sharp bright cherries.
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5/2/2008 - RossR wrote: 93 Points
Wonderfully balanced!
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11/14/2007 - Captain Haddock wrote: 90 Points
Double-decanted an hour before serving - make that 2 hours next time. Bright colour with bricking at the rim. Noticeable volatile acidity which subsided in the glass, giving way to a very fresh nose and mouth of crushed red fruit and stawberry sorbet, with a moderate finish. Oak and tannins fully resolved but the fruit is still lively and kept dancing by the fresh acidity.
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8/10/2007 - fredb wrote:
Deep red-orange color with an overt nose of dill (American oak?) framing notes of red fruit, tobacco, and smoked game. On the palate, the dill dominates, making this very hard for me to enjoy. This character softened with the leftovers the next day, giving me some hope that this might one day be a good "old wine".
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3/25/2007 - kevin h wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose of raspberries, vanilla and a little mocha. In the glass, good acidity, high toned without being volatile; bricky red rim but a good garnet core, raspberries come through in the flavour strongly. This tastes like quite a fruit driven wine, light to medium and with moderate length, but there is not much complexity here - a bit of oak but not much else. This still tastes quite youthful though is certainly quite drinkable now. Not as good as I remember either the 75 or 87 from a few years ago to be. Drink or hold.
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12/31/2006 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
Rubi acastanhado com poucos sedimentos finos, aromas complexos e sutis de aceto balsamico, floral, madeira velha úmida, oxidação e liquirizia. Média acidez, taninos finos e ainda bastante perceptíveis, muito evoluído, com final longo e agradável. Excelente.
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7/7/2006 - DaleW wrote: 89 Points
I think my last bottle of this. I was a little hesitant about bringing this- I liked the first release of this, but some very VA-dominated bottles appeared en masse in NYC a few years ago- I wasn't sure if this was from first batch or my repurchase. Some bottle funk, and some noticable VA. But the VA stays within my tolerance level, just a very lifted nose. Sweet red cherry and plum fruit with a tiny dash of spice on the palate, good acidty. Pulls itself together nicely at end when the volatile acidity has faded. B+
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7/6/2006 - trankin wrote: 91 Points
Scarsdale Spain Offline (Meritage Restaurant in Scarsdale): Slightly funky, brownish nose with a touch of must initially. Silky and gentle, a touch musty. I kept this in a glass for another 2 hours, trying periodically. Gradually this grew, and started getting much better. Around 30 minutes, it was coming together nicely, with cherries predominant. Continued to improve for a bit past an hour, getting quite nice at its best. Really filled in nicely and became a lovely Rioja for a brief period, before settling back down to being merely nice.
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9/26/2005 - Lorien wrote: 94 Points
Very tasty wine! It is starting to show a mature side, but at the very early stages. Seems like a long runner for sure at this point. Currently, lovely sweet fruit with fantastic acidity to push it through. Starting to lose its young fat. Very lively. Complex with loads of personality. After 5 hours was still singing load and clear with beautiful notes! Definitely old style Rioja. Keep for now.. will get better!
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8/15/2005 - Jan Schultink wrote: 92 Points
This is what I call a conservative Rioja. A very complex nose. Biting acidity immediately after opening, giving way to a well-integrated set of sensations on the palate, plum and spices. Eventually the acidity recedes only to make itself felt during the long and pleasant finish of this wine. Enjoyed in excellent company, not reflected in my score.
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7/17/2005 - winedoc1 wrote: 88 Points
Nice, but nothing special. Probably 88-90. Fruity, but a bit short.
Drank with grilled flank steak.
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10/9/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 81 Points
Medium garnet. Cherry-ish nose with some vanilla. Good clean attack. Decent fruit. Touch spirity. Big tannins on finish. Very unimpressive. Must be a duff bottle, but there's no obvious fault.
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5/1/2003 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
Blackcurrant bomb, fully ripe (orange at rim!), powerfully acidic like a great ancient Burgundy. 90P
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10/1/2001 - winefool wrote: 87 Points
Deep, dark, rich and very full bodied. Almost port like in concentration with strong flavors of raisin. 10/01
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