Product

Rating: 92

The 2001 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, a wine the Marques calls 'the first vintage of the new era.' Purple in color with a ruby rim, it presents a slightly roasted character along with plum and liqueur-like aromas. On the palate balsamic and other savory notes make an appearance along with plenty of succulent black fruit. It has outstanding depth, concentration, and balance and should evolve for another 4-5 years. It is likely to have a 30 year lifespan. A great bottle of red from the legendary 2001 Rioja vintage.

Marques de Murrieta is a family owned bodega impeccably run by V. Dalmau Cebrian-Sagarriga who took over from his father in 1996. The estate owns 741 acres of vineyard and is in the process of making dramatic improvements to the physical plant. The Bodega manages to straddle the traditional style with the Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva and the modern style with Dalmau. A bit of white wine is also produced but now in a modern style unlike the white wines described below.