Blanco Reserva 'Capellania' 2017

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 100% Viura

Tasting note

Smoky and nutty on the nose with aromas of fresh quince, pear, almonds and toasted notes. The palate showcases touches of oak, almonds, camomile, pear, dried apricots and has a creamy feel. There is superb balance and texture, with a line of fine acidity, the wine really develops in the mouth.

Reserva 2017

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 83% Tempranillo
9% Graciano
6% Mazuelo
2% Garnacha

Tasting note

Flavours of ripe plum, red cherry and berries blend with spicy notes of licorice and sweet balsamic. The wine is silky and well balanced with rounded tannins and refreshing acidity. The long, mineral finish has notes of sweet spice and ripe plum fruit.

Gran Reserva 2015

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 80% Tempranillo
9% Graciano
9% Mazuelo
2% Garnacha

Tasting note

Over a base of balsamic aromas, there are hints of spices, ripe black berries, cassis, and figs.  The delicate aromatic range is completed with mineral and light earth notes. The wine is refined and it has a lively palate, with silky texture that is wrapped by polished tannins and a long, persistent finish.

“A well-structure wine that has long to live. Faithful expression of the vintage and our Ygay Estate” María Vargas – Technical Manager

Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2011

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 84% Tempranillo
16% Mazuelo

Tasting note

An endless and complex medley of aromas on the nose including ripe cherry, blueberry, cassis with refined hints of garrigue, Mediterranean herbs, black pepper, clove and mocha. Balance really defines this vintage on the palate, which is lively yet boasts super concentration and structure, with silky tannins and a long finish.

Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial 1986

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 97% Viura
3% Malvasia

Tasting note

“I have been terribly excited about this wine since I first learned that (part of) it was still in cement waiting to be bottled in September 2013. I consider the rare white Castillo Ygay one of the greatest white wines ever produced in Spain, and the 1986 Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial is a great addition to the portfolio of the winery–an historic wine that is coming back to life. I did a vertical tasting of many of the old, historic vintages of this wine, and they are included in a separate article in this very same issue. This 1986 had seen the light as a limited early release bottled in 1992 and sold around 1995, and some bottles might still be found in the market. But most of it remained unbottled and was kept at the winery, where it stayed in oak for 21 years, followed by some six years in cement vats until it was bottled. It has 13.5% alcohol, an extremely low pH of 2.98 and 6.75 grams of acidity (tartaric). It has a very subtle nose and it’s a bit shy, a little closed at first. It was only bottled one and a half years ago, and it’s not crazy to say that the wine is showing extremely young. The wine shows more open the day after, when it has developed some nuances of mushrooms and verbena tea. This is mostly Viura with perhaps a pinch of Malvasía Riojana (aka Alarije). The palate is both powerful and elegant, with superb acidity and great length, with volume and sharpness, with a mineral, umami-driven finish. It fills your mouth, tickles your taste buds and makes you salivate. There is nothing negative about the wine; there is no excess oak, nothing blurry, nothing to improve… perhaps the bottle used! I think this is a perfect wine. It seems to be getting younger and younger with time in the glass; it seems to be getting more focused and sharper, and I have no doubt the wine will evolve and last for a very, very, very long time in bottle. I kept the opened bottle for almost one week and the wine didn’t move one inch–no oxidation or any signs of fatigue. Having tasted many other vintages, including the also perfect 1919 (which is still going strong at age 97), I have no doubt we’re talking about a white for the next 50 years. Looking at the older vintages, I might even be underestimating its life span. The potential next release could be the 1998 in no less than ten years’ time.

There is something truly exceptional happening at Marqués de Murrieta: the rare white Castillo de Ygay is making a comeback! And nothing other than the 1986, a fully 30 years after the vintage!”

Luis Gutierrez

Dalmau Reserva 2017

Region Rioja Alta, Spain

Grape Varieties 80% Tempranillo
10% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Graciano

Tasting note

Dalmau has a complex nose, with aromas of wild fruits and dark chocolate, combined with creamy, spicy aromas following ageing in new French oak barrels.