86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (a.k.a. Cariñena) & 2% Garnacha
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The flagship red 2018 Rioja Reserva was produced with a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (a.k.a. Cariñena) and 2% Garnacha selected from their 300 hectares of vineyards that exemplifies the character of the vintage and the place. 2018 was a year with good rain and a cool season that resulted in a late harvest, which started on October 1 and was slow and delivered grapes with good freshness. Each variety and plot fermented separately in stainless steel and the wines aged separately in American oak barrels for 21 months and then settled in concrete until bottling. It follows the path of the 2016, where I noticed a change that is taken further in this, controlling the power and increasing the freshness. It's very aromatic, a year completely different from the 2017; it has less structure and more freshness and subtler balance and enough oomph, concentration and power neatly compensated by freshness. I believe 2018 was a very good vintage to implement this change. It's perfumed, fresh, elegant and medium-bodied, with a velvety texture. Superb! "
Going all the way back to 1852, the Marques de Murrieta estate of Castillo Ygay has been a benchmark winery for the historic Rioja region of Spain. Lately they've brought things to a new level: the 2010 vintage of their flagship Gran Reserva was named Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year for 2020. But even their humble reserva wine has earned consistent praise with its modern take on Rioja, and is still one of the great values in the world of wine.
As is tradition here, they age in American oak, which brings prominent toasty vanilla and baking spice flavors, as well as a polished texture. But aging the wine less than the old school leaves a fresher fruit character up front, along with a firmer bed of tannin for a greater sense of structure. This style, backed by years of experience and recent upgrades in the winery, yields a crowd-pleaser whose quality can easily go up against today's stylish wines that cost more. And at this price, it's an easy choice to impress at your next get-together!
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The flagship red 2018 Rioja Reserva was produced with a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (a.k.a. Cariñena) and 2% Garnacha selected from their 300 hectares of vineyards that exemplifies the character of the vintage and the place. 2018 was a year with good rain and a cool season that resulted in a late harvest, which started on October 1 and was slow and delivered grapes with good freshness. Each variety and plot fermented separately in stainless steel and the wines aged separately in American oak barrels for 21 months and then settled in concrete until bottling. It follows the path of the 2016, where I noticed a change that is taken further in this, controlling the power and increasing the freshness. It's very aromatic, a year completely different from the 2017; it has less structure and more freshness and subtler balance and enough oomph, concentration and power neatly compensated by freshness. I believe 2018 was a very good vintage to implement this change. It's perfumed, fresh, elegant and medium-bodied, with a velvety texture. Superb! "
Going all the way back to 1852, the Marques de Murrieta estate of Castillo Ygay has been a benchmark winery for the historic Rioja region of Spain. Lately they've brought things to a new level: the 2010 vintage of their flagship Gran Reserva was named Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year for 2020. But even their humble reserva wine has earned consistent praise with its modern take on Rioja, and is still one of the great values in the world of wine.
As is tradition here, they age in American oak, which brings prominent toasty vanilla and baking spice flavors, as well as a polished texture. But aging the wine less than the old school leaves a fresher fruit character up front, along with a firmer bed of tannin for a greater sense of structure. This style, backed by years of experience and recent upgrades in the winery, yields a crowd-pleaser whose quality can easily go up against today's stylish wines that cost more. And at this price, it's an easy choice to impress at your next get-together!
Overall Rating
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