Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva Especial 2011 (750ml)

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Producer	Marques de Murrieta
Country	Spain
Region	Rioja
Varietal	Tempranillo
Vintage	2011
Sku	30229
Size	750ml

 

WE

97

WA

97

An endless and complex range of aromas define this Castillo Ygay 2011 that evokes fragrances of ripe cherry, blueberry and cassis with refined hints of garrigue, Mediterranean herbs, black pepper, clove and mocha. Balance defines this wine vintage after vintage; lively on the palate yet enveloping and harmonious. With silky tannins and a long, elegant finish.

Pair with steamed grouper fish, grilled squid and fine black sauce with its allied croquette. Candied and ember-roasted Bresse pigeon, Cameros truffle and red wine. Long cooked Wagyu tail in red wine, smoked eel and foie mille-feuille. Truffled Moliterno sheep’s milk cheese.

The Cebrián-Sagarriga family, who in 1983 acquired the Marqués de Murrieta winery, established in 1852, has a distinct winemaking philosophy that is founded in the pursuit of quality and excellence through tradition and innovation.

Only the finest vintages from the 741-acre Ygay Estate are used to make Castillo Ygay. This Gran Reserva Especial is made from tempranillo and mazuelo from vineyards located at 485 meters above sea level. Limited in production and sought after all over the world, it is the worthy choice for the winery's emblematic Castillo Ygay label.

84% Tempranillo, 16% Mazuelo

The grapes are manually harvested from an 80-year-old single-vineyard called La Plana, located at the highest peak within the Ygay Estate which surrounds the winery in the southern point of the Rioja Alta wine subzone. The grapes were first carefully destemmed and squeezed and then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 11 days with daily remontage and pigeage processes to help develop the wine's personality. These processes ensured maximum color and aroma without producing excessive tannin. The wine spent 24 months in 225-liter American and French oak barrels, and then three years in the bottle before being released to the market.

Deep violet-red to the eye, this wine has a nose of raspberry, white chocolate and juniper berry. Still youthful on the palate, it offers ever-present tannins supporting flavors of dark plum, black cherry, caramel and violet that slowly fade into a soft cherry-pie finish. Drink through 2042. Cellar Selection -M.D.

The 2011 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial was produced with a blend of 84% Tempranillo and 16% Mazuelo (Cariñena) from a plot called La Plana that was planted in 1950 at 485 meters in altitude, the highest in the Ygay property. The grapes were picked between September 17 and 22, and the Mazuelo was later, on September 28. The bunches were destemmed and lightly crushed and put to ferment in stainless steel for 11 days with constant pump-overs and punch-downs. The Tempranillo matured for 28 months in American oak barrels and the Mazuelo for 28 months in French barriques. It's 14% alcohol and has a pH of 3.65 with 5.6 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter). It's very tough to follow a vintage like 2010, and 2011 was not an easy year; the wine is possibly more powerful and concentrated but keeping the freshness, with a longer élevage but very young and lively, with an elegant texture and mouthfeel, great balance and elegance. 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. It was bottled in February 2016. No 2013, 2014 or 2015 will be produced. They have a 2012, and they will jump from that to 2016. The 2012 will be released in late 2023 or early 2024 and the 2016 in 2027 or 2028. Finger crossed... Anticipated Maturity: 2022-2040