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Among "the best and most elevated wines in Spain" according to Decanter's Tim Atkin, the elegant 94 pt. 2018 Marques de Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva offers fresh, aromatic juicy fruit hinting of vanilla and earthy spice with bright acidity and supple, harmonious tannins, a superb value that fans of classically styled Rioja will want to scoop up.
Among Rioja's most historic bodegas, Marques de Murrieta was founded in 1852, its impressive 150-year-old stone Ygay castle located at the end of a long drive surrounded by lawns and cypress trees southeast of the Rioja Alta towns of Haro and Elciego. Remaining in the Murrieta family for over a century until its purchase by Vicente Cebrian in 1983, Murrieta's quality has soared over the last two decades under the direction of second-generation Vicente Dalmau Cebrian-Sagarriga, the wines produced in a massive new state of the art winery by long-term winemaker Maria Vargas beginning in 2018. One of the few wineries in the region sourcing their Rioja from all estate grown fruit, Murrieta's 300-hectare Ygay vineyard (pronounced "E-guy") is located on the southerly limit of Rioja Alta between 320 meters to 485 meters above sea level, its diverse range of soils, exposures and altitudes reflected in the Reserva's rich complexity. Blending mostly Tempranillo with small amounts of Graziano, Mazuelo and Garnacha, winemaker Vargas aged the refined 2018 Marques de Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva for 21 months in a mix of new and used American oak barrels and a year and a half in bottle, yielding bright fresh flavors with supple, silky tannins and a long-lasting finish, described as "effortlessly drinkable" by James Suckling and built for years of pleasurable drinking ahead.
Describing Murrieta as "one of the most classical names in Rioja" producing "eminently age-worthy reds," the Wine Advocate's Luis Gutierrez sums up the lush and enticing 94 pt. 2018 Marques de Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva as "superb," an expertly crafted Rioja built for years of enjoyment and ranking among Rioja's finest values. | 
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