2018 Marques de Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva (750ml)

Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain

B-21 Top Recommendation
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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.

94WA

94JS

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! 960,000 bottles produced.

94 points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Jul 2022)

Savory cured-meat, tobacco and grilled-spice notes to the bright plum, red-date, cherry and green-olive aromas. Quite a juicy, medium-bodied Rioja with fresh and extremely silky tannins caressing the zesty orange and crunchy red-berry flavors. Nuanced, fluid and effortlessly drinkable. Long and extremely elegant. A vintage that highlights layering and freshness, rather than power and depth. 86% tempranillo, 8% graciano, 4% mazuelo and 2% garnacha. Delicious now, but will hold well.

94 points, James Suckling (Sep 2022)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.0%

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$24.98

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