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The vineyard sits at 485m altitude, at the southern end of Rioja Alta, close to the boundary with Rioja Baja. The total estate is 300 hectares, but the historic Ygay vineyard is smaller and today has 80-year-old vines. Its terroir is characterised by large, reddish stones. The vineyards of Rioja, and its wines, are today dominated by Tempranillo, so it’s interesting that this celebrated vineyard was planted with a wide range of local varieties – with Tempranillo in the majority but still representing only half the blend. By the 1980s Tempranillo would account for almost 80% of the blend. In 1925 it is likely that the wine would have been a selection of the best lots. More recent vintages have been sourced from specific plots that, in the words of the Murrieta winemaker, give ‘the most elegance, purity, longevity, complexity and depth’.
After harvest the grapes were fermented for 13 days in American oak vats, and the new wine remained here for a further eight months. It was then transferred to fairly new American oak barrels, where it stayed for five years. The wine was then moved into older barrels, neutralised by tartaric acid deposits on the inside, and aged for an astonishing 32 years more, before being bottled in 1964. Even at this stage the wine was not considered ready, and was given considerable bottle age before finally coming onto the market in 1973. Its longevity is partly explained by its high acidity and a pH of 2.96, a figure more commonly associated with a racy white wine.
Wine Description
The Story
Castillo Ygay:Own single vineyard: An 80 year old single vineyard called La Plana located at the highest peak (485 meters altitude) within our 300 hectare Ygay Estate which surrounds the winery in the southern point of the Rioja Alta wine subzone. It is exclusively elaborated from the excellent quality vintages (The last ones from the XXIthcentury have been: 2000-2001 and 2004).
Grape varieties: 89% Tempranillo, 11% Mazuelo.
Manual harvest: Tempranillo was harvested on the 30th of September and Mazuelo on October the 10th
Vinification: Grapes are first carefully de-stemmed, squeezed and then fermented in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks for 11 days, with daily “remontage” and “pigeage” processes which help its wine to develop its own personality. Both these processes ensure maximum colour and aroma, without producing excessive tannins.
Ageging process: 30 month in 225 litter oak barrels, with at least 10 months in new oak, and 36 months in bottle before release. While the Tempranillo ferments in American oak barrels, the Mazuelo ferments in new French oak barrels.
Pairing: All kinds of red meats, game, ibericos and cured chesses.
Consimtion Temperature: 18º – 19ºC.
Decanting: We recommend to let it breathe for some minutes before consumption.
Wine Information
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial - Marqués de Murrieta / In 1996 V. Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, was only 27 years old when, after his father's sudden death, he was handed the responsibility over the oldest winery in Rioja - Spain's national treasure Marqués de Murrieta. The winery had been founded 150 years earlier in 1852 by Luciano Francisco Ramón, born Peruvian, who after many twists of fate became a pioneer in Rioja's wine industry. His exemplary activities were noted even at the court, and Queen Isabella II granted him the title Marqués de Murrieta, which also became the name of the estate.
Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga's father, the late Count of Creixell Vicente Cebrián, had bought the estate in 1980's from its previous, acknowledged owners. He was a successful businessman and many saw this as a threat to the historical values of the estate. The Count indeed started great ventures to modernize the estate and its facilities, but the changes that were made esteemed history and traditions.
Today the cellar enjoys the newest technology, but the grapes are still pressed in the old presses from the 19th century - no modern equipment ensures as gentle treatment as this old machinery. V.Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga along with his sister Christina continue the family business. The present Count of Creixell has continued the revision his father started. New areas have been planted with vines and altogether new types of wines are now being produced along with wines faithful to the original style.
Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta includes almost 300 hectares of vineyards in the southernmost part of La Rioja, where the temperatures are higher than in neighbouring sub-regions of La Rioja. This, along with the fertility of the soil, enables in obtaining a high-qality grapevine. The extension of the Ygay estate makes Marqués de Murrieta one of the few Spanish wineries which wine is a 100% elaborated with their own grapes, controlling them from the vine until the winemaking process.
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial is made only at the excellent quality vintages.
Average Bottle Price
| 2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 655€ +12.3% | 583€ +10.2% | 529€ +25.4% | 422€ |
This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.