Established in 1852, Murrieta is one of the oldest and most respected bodegas in Rioja Alta. Their wines are concentrated and long-lived and some, like “Castillo Ygay”, have become legendary amongst wine-lovers. Marqués de Murrieta has not stood back and stagnated however; their 300 hectare estate produces Dalmau – a blend which represents an avant-garde expression of their terroir.
Within the 300 hectare Ygay estate, surrounding the winery in the southern point of Rioja Alta wine area. There is an altitude difference of 165 metres between the lowest point at 320 metres and the highest peak at 485 metres.
Grapes are first de-stemmed and then fermented in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks for 9 days, with constant skin contact. During fermentation pumping over and punching down operations are regularly carried out. These processes ensure both effective and gentle colour and aroma extraction. Afterwards the solid parts of the grapes are pressed in a vertical press. This is a gentle process that extracts colour and ripe tannins from the grape’s skin. The wine is then aged in American barriques for 25months and was bottled in January 2018.
A cooler vintage in Rioja Alta and poorer weather conditions towards the end of the harvest caused problems for those producers who didn’t pick earlier. A slow ripening season led to grapes with a vibrant fruit expression. The grapes for the Gran Reserva were harvested on the Ygay Estate between 30th September and 18th October 2014 and missed the worst of the rain.
This is a full-bodied and generous Gran Reserva Rioja, with flavours of red currants, cherries and aromatic herbs, spicy oak and soft vanilla, with subtle tones of Christmas spices evident on the palate and a rich, velvety finish.
Perfect accompaniment to grilled red meats, bellota ham, and dishes with rich sauces.
Serve at 16º-17º C. Open one hour before serving.
95 Points James Suckling
94 Points Robert Parker
Rioja Alta, Spain
84% Tempranillo
9% Graciano
5% Mazuelo
2% Garnacha
Natural Cork
13.5
No
No
