Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay - Gran Reserva Especial 1985

Marques de Murrieta - Gran Reserva Especial 1985 is one of the most famous wines from Spain, along with Vega Sicilia and Pingus. This wine comes from the La Plana vineyard, which is located almost 500 meters above sea level, where old vines of tempranillo and mazuelo thrive in calcareous soil. The grapes, consisting of 86% tempranillo and 14% mazuelo, are vinified separately and matured for 28 months in both American and French oak barrels. After this process, the wines are blended and aged for another 6 months in cement vats before being bottled and aged for at least 3 years. When the wine is released, it is 9 years old but still fresh. It has a deep color with a violet hue, and the aroma offers notes of cherry, dill, cloves, vanilla, blackcurrant, leather and orange. The taste is well balanced with dark, spicy fruit, fresh acidity and fine tannins. The wine has the potential to develop for 40-50 years and becomes more complex with age. If enjoyed young, it is recommended to decant the wine 1-2 hours before serving at 15-16 degrees.

Marqués de Murrieta is a well-known name in the Rioja region. In 1844, Luciano de Murrieta focused on quality in the area, inspired by his experience in Bordeaux. In 1878, he established the Ygay estate, which is today one of Spain's most prestigious wine houses. From the more than 300 hectares of land, five wines are produced, including the iconic Dalmau and Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. In addition, one of Spain's most recognized white wines, Capellanía, is produced. Marqués de Murrieta also owns Pazo Barrantes in Rias Baixas, which is known for some of Galicia's finest white wines. In 2016, they were honored with the 'Elle Gourmet Award for the Best Winery'.