Marqués de Murrieta Gran Reserva Limited Edition
Rioja, Spain
Vintage:2015 (Past)
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Reviews
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
“A nose of brambly dark berries with a touch of pine needle prepare the palate for flavors of blackberry, cassis, cocoa powder, coffee bean and eucalyptus. Tannins come on a bit heavy and then recede into a minty finish.”
View From the Cellar 94+ Points
“The 2015 vintage of Rioja Finca Ygay “Gran Reserva” from Marqués de Murrieta is crafted from a cépages of eighty percent tempranillo, nine percent each of graciano and mazuelo and two percent garnacha. The wine was aged for twenty-seven months in two hundred and twenty-five liter, American oak casks and comes in at an even fourteen percent in this warm year. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex blend of red and black raspberries, cigar wrapper, lovely meaty tones, cloves, a touch of celery seed, salty minerality, spicy American oak and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and youthfully structured, with absolutely superb depth at the core, fine soil signature and grip, ripe, well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and excellent focus and balance on the long, complex and very promising finish. 2015 produced plenty [113] of potential structure in Rioja and this excellent Gran Reserva has a fine chassis for long-term cellaring and should prove to be a very long-lived wine that will drink splendidly once it is ready. 2033-2100.”
Decanter 95 Points
“Marqués de Murrieta spoils the Rioja lover for choice, with Gran Reserva Especial as well as this fine Gran Reserva, and a very delicious reserva. Why select a Gran Reserva when the Reserva is so good? Because this is a wine made with great precision by winemaker María Vargas, who is also a master blender. Her attention to detail brings out a wonderfully complex expression of the succulent dark fruit, layered with very fine American oak.”
The Wine Advocate 94 Points
“A barrel selection of the most age-worthy wines from the vintage, the 2015 Gran Reserva Limited Edition is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 9% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha from their 300 hectares of vineyards. The grapes were picked between the September 14 and October 16; the destemmed and lightly crushed grapes were fermented by plot and variety in stainless steel, and the varieties aged separately for 27 months in American barrels. Tasted next to the wines from 2018 and onward, this is a more powerful and concentrated wine, also because of the style of the vintage. The concept is to make a wine with more structure, power and aging potential. It's very classical with notes from the aging in American oak clearly recognizable, very spicy and tasty. The wine is medium to full-bodied and powerful but already developed by some time in bottle; it's spicy, tasty, chalky and still young with potential to age.”
JamesSuckling.com 98 Points, #10 Top 100 Wines of Spain 2021
“This is historical Rioja in the glass with dark-berry, Spanish-cedar, bark, mahogany and light earth aromas that follow through to a full body with firm, fine tannins that are layered and intense. It really is multilayered, with a citrus and cedar aftertaste. Wonderful length and composure. Try after 2023, but already fantastic.”
Overview
Marqués de Murrieta's Rioja Gran Reserva is a limited edition wine from select barrels, created to last over time and only produced in benchmark vintages. The Gran Reserva represents the perfect balance between classicism and modernity. Crafted in the classic Murrieta signature style and enjoying all the benefits of modern winemaking philosophy, equipment and techniques.
Made from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, this wine embodies ripe fruit qualities with a perfect balance of acidity, supple roundness on the palate and a hint of new oak. The Marqués de Murrieta vineyards on the 741-acre Ygay Estate are located in Rioja Alta between 320 meters to 485 meters above sea level.
The Cebrián-Sagarriga family, who in 1983 acquired the winery, established in 1852, has a distinct winemaking philosophy that is founded in the pursuit of quality and excellence through tradition and innovation.
Winemaking
Grape varieties are vinified separately. Previously destemmed, the grapes ferment in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation takes between 8 and 12 days during which, pumping over and punching down operations are regularly carried out to ensure the contact between juice and skins. Afterwards, the solid parts of the grapes are squashed in a vertical press, by a gentle process that extracts color and ripe tannins from the grape skins.
Tasting Notes
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.
Food Pairing
Pairs beautifully with duck magret baked with red wine reduction, redcurrants, raspberries and honey mustard. Decanting the wine for 30 minutes is recommended. Best enjoyed between 60º to 63ºF.
Technical Information
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 9% Mazuelo. 2% Garnacha
Wine Alcohol: 14%
Bottling Date: May 2018
Aging: 27 months in 225-litre American oak barrels