2018 Rioja Reserva
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Sourced from the large and diverse Finca Ygay estate in Rioja Alta, the 2018 Marqués de Murrieta is predominantly Tempranillo, with a touch of Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta. Aged for 24 months in American oak barrels, this garnet-hued wine features fruit-forward notes of sour cherry and elderberry, complemented by a layer of wild herbs and an oaky core. Dry, silky and juicy, the precise palate is delicate and nuanced, with fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity. This is a classically styled Rioja with a modern twist, crafted from a textbook vintage for the region.
Critic scores
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
More reviews and scores
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.