Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2011
Marques de Murrieta
Marqués de Murrieta has always been a pioneer in Rioja. Proudly old-fashioned in its approach, all the grapes are sourced from the bodega's own vineyards, at Ygay near Logroño, which now spreads across 300ha. No less than 14,000 casks are used in the cellar where the wines are aged for a minimum of two years (much longer than at any other Bodegas). They make Marqués de Murrieta, the glorious and very rare Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial and since 1995, a premium super-cuvée, Dalmau.
Castillo Ygay is the flagship of the estate. First labelled as Château Ygay, it is now known as Castillo Ygay, following a complaint from the French wine industry. The grapes are sourced from La Plana, a 40-hectare (98-acre) vineyard planted in 1950 at 485 meters altitude. They are vinified separately and aged for 28 months in a mix of French and American 225-litre oak barrels and an additional 13 months in a concrete tank. Complex aromas of ripe cherry, blueberry and cassis with hints of Mediterranean herbs, black pepper, clove and mocha. Liverly and harmonious on the palate with silky tannins and a long, elegant finish.
Delivery
Items are expected to be delivered within 4 weeks
Producer
Region
Variety
Alcohol-abv
14%
Reviews
Decanter 97 Points, James Suckling 98 Points, Robert Parker 97 Points
Bottle Format:
75cl
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Variant
Status
Price
Quantity
Ratings
97 Points Decanter
The essence of classicism, built upon utmost care in the vineyard and the strictest selection. Made from selected plots within a single vineyard, aged in concrete for one year before starting oak ageing during 28 months, followed by bottle ageing for at least six more years. It looks deceptively mature, having a very long life ahead, but being delicious to drink now. Intense classic aromas of dried fruit and undergrowth, enhanced by notes of clove and tea leaves, and with a difficult to express memory of black fruit. Round and rich in the mouth, silky and intense, slow and generous. A top wine, not far from its now iconic 2010 sibling. If one could live to see this wine at its peak.... Drink 2022 – 2091
98 Points James Suckling
Extremely well-mannered, traditional character to this, showing layer upon layer of savory complexity on the nose, with iron, dried meat, tobacco, balsamic fruit, dried red berries, orange peel, leather and dried mushrooms. A medium-to full-bodied, linear and zesty Rioja that’s full of nuanced flavors that linger through the very long, savory finish. Floral, too. Yet, it remains bright and precise. Tempranillo with 16% mazuelo. Drink on release or hold
97 Points Robert Parker
The wine feels lively, and it seems impossible that it has been in bottle for over six years. It has the classical profile with the effect of the American oak barrels, cigar box, cedar wood, sweet spices aromatic, intoxicating, complex. This should age very slowly and for a very long time. 131,668 bottles produced. Drink 2022 – 2040. Luis Gutiérrez
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Rioja
Rioja in Northern Spain is best known for berry-scented, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha. It is arguably Spain's top wine region. It is certainly the most famous, rivaled only by Jerez. The vineyards trace the course of the Ebro River for roughly 100 kilometers (60 miles) between the towns of Haro and Alfaro.
Other than Tempranillo and Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) are also used in red Rioja wines. A few wineries, notably Marqués de Riscal, use small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes are much less widely planted.
The Rioja wine region is contained mostly within the La Rioja administrative region, through which the Rio Oja river flows. However its northernmost vineyards are sited in neighboring Navarra and Pais Vasco (Basque Country). The region is demarcated less by political and administrative boundaries and more by geographical features. Among these the most relevant are the Ebro and foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda and Sierra de Cantabria mountain ranges. The Cantabrian Mountains, which flank Rioja to the north and west, provide shelter from cold, wet influences of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a significant factor in the local climate, which is significantly warmer and drier than that just to the north. The region's soils vary from place to place, with the finest containing high levels of limestone.
The amount of time that a Rioja wine spends in barrel dictates which of the official Rioja aging categories goes on the label: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.
Rioja Joven wines are intended for consumption within two years of vintage. They spend little or no time in oak – jóven is Spanish for "young". This category may also include wines which have undergone aging, but for some other reason do not gain certifications for the higher categories. Many modern juicy, everyday reds fit into this category. Some of these are made using a variant of carbonic maceration.
Crianza red wines are aged for at least one year in oak, and one year in bottle. They are released in the third year. White Crianza wines must also be aged for two years but only six months needs to be in casks.
Reserva red wines spend a minimum of one year in oak. They cannot be sent to market until a full three years after vintage. The white Reserva wines need only spend six months of the three years in casks.
Gran Reserva red wines undergo a total of five years' aging with at least two years spent in barrel. The white counterparts must age for at least four years, with a minimum of 12 months in casks.The amount of time that a Rioja wine spends in barrel dictates which of the official Rioja aging categories goes on the label: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.
Spain
Grape vines have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 B.C., although it was not until 1000 B.C. that winemaking began here in earnest – a skill brought by Phoenician traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Today, Spain is home to more vines than any other country on Earth, and has a national wine output exceeded only by France and Italy.
All seventeen of Spain's administrative regions (communidades autónomas) produce wine to some extent, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. The greatest concentration of vineyards is in Castilla-La Mancha, but the finest and most famous wines come from Galicia (Rias Baixas), Catalonia (Cava and Priorat), Andalucia (Sherry), Castilla y Leon (Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero) and of course Rioja.
Geography and climate together play a fundamental role in defining Spain's many wine styles. From cool, green Galicia and the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north, via the parched central plateau, to sandy, sunny Andalucia in the south, the Spanish landscape is very diverse. The country spans seven degrees of latitude (36°N to 43°N), leaving 500 miles (800km) between its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
The key red-wine varieties, in order of acreage, are Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha and Monastrell. The leading white-wine varieties are Airen, Viura/Macabeo and Palomino and Albarino. 'International' varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are becoming more and more popular in Spain, and their plantings are rising in various Spanish regions. Along with the most popular varieties, there are regional specialties, such as Hondarrabi Zuri in the Basque Country, Marmajuelo in the Canary Islands and Zalema in Andalucia.
