Castillo Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja, Marqués de Murrieta 2012 En Primeur - Case of 6

Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta is the oldest of the historic, top-class Riojan bodegas and was established in 1852 by Luciano Francisco Ramón de Murrieta who then tapped into the French experience displaced by the phylloxera crisis.

Very much at the forefront of quality in the region for the next hundred years, the winery’s fortunes dipped in the mid-eighties before Vincente Dalmau (owner since 1996) and recent winemaker Maria Vargas restored the class and finesse to the wines. The portfolio is mostly traditional, using Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo in predominantly old American oak, aged much longer than the minimum requirements of DOC Rioja. The Ygay estate is their heart and gives its name to the best, most traditional Gran Reservas. It is 300 ha in size, spread around the bodega in the south of Rioja Alta near Logroño, and is split into about 30 single vineyard plots of very high quality, with the best old vines being at 425m of altitude to bring extra intensity andconcentration to the game. Their ‘top’ modern-style wine is modestly named Dalmau.