2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial

Tempranillo Blend

mflesh wrote: 92 points

April 12, 2013 - Enjoyed with dinner at Pappa's Brothers Steakhouse Dallas after wine tasting. We were looking for something true to Rioja style but maybe a bit earthy. Well, we didn't really get the earthy part of our wishes, but wow this wine was Rioja style. 93 Tempranillo and 7 Carignane. Smooth, and quite a balanced tempranillo even in its youth. Label and bottle are gorgeous. Not decanted. Nose was dominanted by blackberry and smoke...young...vibrant. The palate was right at medium body, blackberry and leather, with a hint of vanilla. Sometimes I was getting a tobacco note. Very subtle. The mid-palate was rather dense, velvety. I think a little truffle started to develop. The finish was also elegant, not much spice, not really much earth. Tannin was medium at the finish and gave a nice satisfying, not overdone, blackberry note. Rather approachable even now. This really is a perfect steak wine and did not try to dominate. I really think the best years of this wine are far ahead - 2018-2020 probably the most "ripe" drinking, but I see this one lasting another 15-20 years easily with proper cellaring.

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