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Ratings & Reviews
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2007
International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - October 2011
90 Points "Bright ruby-red. Cherry, black raspberry, vanilla and cracked pepper on the highly perfumed nose. Sappy, incisive dark fruit flavors are lifted by tangy acidity and pick up smokiness and oak spices with air. Finishes on a gently sweet note, with very good clinging length."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
90 Points "Asian spices, incense, mineral, smoke, black cherry, and blackberry are some of the nuances that appear as the wine sits in the glass. Savory spices, ripe tannins, and layers of black fruit flavors lead to a seamless finish in a wine that will evolve for several more years and drink well through 2027."
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2006
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
89 Points "Dark ruby red in color, it offers up an enticing nose of cedar, spice box, incense, violets, and black fruits. On the palate it is a supple, easygoing effort with silky tannins and a seamless finish. Because of its impeccable balance it can be approached now but will continue to provide pleasure through 2021 if not longer."
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2005 Archived REVIEWS
Wine & Spirits - December 2010
91 Points "Garnet in color, with a traditional sour cherry and oak scent, this wine grows at the Ygay estate in Rioja Alta. It’s smooth and plummy, with spicy red fruit tannins laying in wait for a steak. The minerality lasts, hinting at complexities to come with bottle age."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - July 2009
91 points "Bright red. Fresh red berry and spice aromas suggest a higher percentage of garnacha. Suave, energetic red berry flavors stain the palate, nicely braced by tangy mineral and spice qualities. The finish repeats the red fruit note and hangs on tenaciously."
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - June 2009
90 points "...With time this serious Rioja unveils toasty raspberry and mineral-tinged cola and plum aromas and flavors. There’s natural snap to the wine courtesy of bright natural acidity, but also some beef and body that manifests itself in a controlled creaminess that houses herbal, chocolaty finishing notes."
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2004 Archived REVIEWS
Quarterly Review of Wines - Richard L. Elia - September 2008
"Lively, supple wine, nicely rounded and balanced, with oak notes, spice, and lush blackberry fruit. Elegant. Delicious. Good firm finish, with soft tannins. This is Murrieta's 'signature' wine and a Rioja you should know."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - April 2008
89 points "Medium to dark ruby-colored, it offers up a stylish bouquet of cedar, leather, tobacco, spice box, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and succulent, this ripe, tasty wine from a superb vintage will evolve for 3-4 years and perform at its best between 2011 and 2019. It is a very good value in the classic Rioja style."
Capellanía White Reserva
Capellanía White Reserva 2006
Wine & Spirits - Joshua Greene - December 2011
92 Points "A supple Iberian pleasure, this viura gains buttery richness from time in oak. The fruit dominates, bringing litchi and pineapple notes to the finish while the wine remains completely dry. For a plate of hake cheeks."
International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - October 2011
91 Points "Light yellow-gold. Deeply pitched aromas of white peach, pineapple and pear, with toasty lees and a vanilla note adding complexity. Lush, sappy and oak-spicy, with very good intensity and focus to its pit and tropical fruit flavors. Picks up a zesty lemony quality that adds bite to the long, spicy finish."
Wine Spectator - Tom Matthews - August 31, 2011
90 Points "This white embraces the traditional style, featuring notes of coconut and vanilla from oak balanced by dried pear, almond and herb flavors. Firm, with very bright acidity that keeps this lively."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
91 Points "Aromas of toast, baking spices, almonds, butterscotch, and melon lead to a smooth-textured, rich, savory wine with well-integrated acidity that cleans the palate. This lengthy effort is capable of evolving for several years and is likely to drink well through 2021."
Capellanía White Reserva 2005 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Spectator - Thomas Matthews - October 15, 2010
93 Points "This expressive white is fragrant with almond blossom, citrus peel, apple, vanilla and spice notes that sail through the palate, carried on firm acidity that gives the wine a lithe, muscular texture. Fresh and long. Drink now through 2020."
Capellanía White Reserva 2004 Archived REVIEWS
Capellanía White Reserva 2003 Archived REVIEWS
Quarterly Review of Wines - Richard L. Elia - September 2008
"Charming and engaging wine. Attractive gold hue. There's depth and rich flavors here, with notes of citric, apple, and vanilla. Perfect both as an aperitif wine, with brunch, cheese and paté. An entirely satisfying wine."
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - June 2008
91 points, Editors' "Lucid yellow in the glass, yet lightly oxidized on the nose. A spacy, unique Viura. There’s dry apricot and peach pit flavors, and mouthfeel and acidity are impeccable. A treat for explorers; eschews all blueprints for modern white wine."
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2004
Wine & Spirits - Joshua Greene - December 2011
93 Points "A formidable, old-fashioned gran reserva, this has the grace and dynamism of great Rioja, powerful without weight. The tannins are precise, focused on Moorish spice, hinting at crushed black peppercorn and cumin. Long and complex, this needs bottle age to fully develop. It should blossom into a great 2004."
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - October 2011
91 Points "Starts out a bit flat, with milk chocolate and raisiny aromas. With airing it evolves and expands, showing snappy flavors of berry, raisin and brown sugar. Very solid on the finish and elegant as an aged Rioja gran reserva should be."
International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - October 2011
92 Points "Deep ruby-red. Ripe red berry and cherry aromas are complicated by vanilla, pipe tobacco and potpourri. Fleshy, palate-coating redcurrant and cherry compote flavors deliver solid punch and pick up floral pastille and smoky nuances with air. The long, seamless finish repeats the deep cherry note and leaves dusty minerals and spices behind. This is delicious now but has the depth and balance to age effortlessly."
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2001
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2001 Archived REVIEWS
Food & Wine - Ray Isle - December 2010
Best wines of 2010 "It is classic Rioja from a great vintage, and exemplifies everything that makes Rioja so appealing: silky cherry fruit, a kind of spicy earth note that suggests the Spanish terrain, and enough age (this is the current release) that all of its flavors and structural notes are in perfect balance."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 01, 2010
92 Points "On the palate balsamic and other savory notes make an appearance along with plenty of succulent black fruit. It has outstanding depth, concentration, and balance and should evolve for another 4-5 years. It is likely to have a 30 year lifespan."
Food & Wine - Ray Isle - October 2009
An "Excellent" Spani "Murrieta, one of the greatest producers in Rioja, sources its classically styled gran reserva solely from its vast 741-acre Ygay estate, located at the southern tip of Rioja Alta. In 2001—the current release—the wine is full of ripe cherry fruit, with notes of licorice and dry leaves."
New York Times - Eric Asimov - August 11, 2009
"...the 2001 Castillo Ygay gran reserva remains true to the style, graceful, light-bodied and balanced. It will be a lovely wine in 20 years."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - July 2009
92 points "Medium red. Impressively complex bouquet of dried red fruits, tobacco, cedar and potpourri. A spicy, subtly sweet midweight, offering lively redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors and very soft tannins. The smoky finish features a strong echo of cedary spice."
Wine Spectator - Thomas Matthews - May 31, 2009
89 points "This supple red is fragrant with berry, wild herb and chocolate notes that carry through to the perfumed finish. The tannins are softening, but the acidity remains lively. Not big, but expressive."
New York Times - Eric Asimov - May 22, 2009
"...I loved the 2001 Castillo Ygay Gran reserva from Marqués de Murrieta, with its beautiful, sheer fruit, lively acidity and lovely, light body..."
Food & Wine "Tasting Room" Blog - Ray Isle - May 20, 2009
"The 2001 Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial...should be around and about, and was the star of the younger wines in the retrospective—cherry fruit with notes of licorice and forest floor, ripe and dense but not heavy, and a leathery-gamey hint on the end. All the richness of the '01 vintage in a classically styled wine, in a sense. I wish I had a case so I could see how it will be, forty years down the line."
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2000 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - December 15, 2008
90 points "An elegant Rioja made in a more traditional style. ...The palate is where this wine shines: the feel is elegant and smooth, while the cherry and raspberry flavors are subtle and a little bit tangy. Mature and sexy stuff; more classic than modern, but not 100% old-school."
Quarterly Review of Wines - Richard L. Elia - September 2008
"Cedar, mineral, earth and spice are in the aromas, with big, rich texture and blackberry and cherry flavors. Soft chewy tannins. Complex. Elegantly made with firm, long finish. It is drinking beautifully just now."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - April 2008
90 points "Deep crimson-colored, it offers up an enticing perfume of cedar, pencil lead, earth notes, and black fruits. This leads to a supple-textured, layered wine with ample black cherry, spice, and blackberry flavors. The lengthy wine has excellent grip and enough structure to evolve for another 3-5 years. It should be at its peak from 2010 to 2022."
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 01, 2010
93 Points "It still has a deep cherry red color along with an aromatic array of underbrush, brier, tobacco, incense, and blackberry. It has slightly sweeter fruit and livelier acidity than the 1994. This lengthy effort is at its peak now where it should remain for another 20 years."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - April 2008
94 points "There are just 1250 cases of the exceptional 1978 Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay....Medium ruby-colored, it has a super-expressive bouquet of cedar, leather, Asian spices, mineral, and assorted red and black fruits with the kind of complexity that only extended aging can provide. Remarkably youthful on the palate, the wine shows little sign of age. Ripe, elegant, concentrated, and full-flavored, this beautifully balanced wine can be enjoyed now and should continue to drink well for at least another 12-15 years."
Dalmau Reserva
Dalmau Reserva 2007
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
93 Points "It offers up an expressive nose of sandalwood, mineral, balsamic, incense, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays considerable complexity... Savory, ripe, layered, and long, this outstanding wine will offer a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2027."
Dalmau Reserva 2007 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - November 01, 2010
93 Points Cellar Selection "Concentrated to the max, with young, closed aromas of coconut, charcoal, mint leaf, leather, hot pavement and black fruit. The palate is juvenile, full and warm, and it delivers a jolt of meaty black fruit, licorice and baking-spice flavors. Toasty late, with no shortage of structure and oak. Should age well for a decade or so."
Dalmau Reserva 2005
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
94 Points "Dense purple in color, it exhibits aromas of pain grille, graphite, lavender, spice box, and assorted black fruits with a hint of balsamic and chocolate. Savory, spicy, and well-balanced, this layered offering has plenty of silky tannins and a pure, seamless finish. It will continue to blossom for several more years and drink well through 2025."
Dalmau Reserva 2005 Archived REVIEWS
New York Times - Eric Asimov - August 11, 2009
"Like many Rioja wineries, Murrieta also makes a red wine in a modern style — darker, richer, with tannins imparted by French oak. It’s called Dalmau, which Mr. Cebrián-Sagarriga calls 'a modern concept of Murrieta.' It, too, is balanced and not overripe, like other versions of what many in Rioja call 'alta expression' wines. With Castillo de Ygay and Dalmau, Marqués de Murrieta manages to have it both ways."
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - June 2009
93 points, Editors' "Dalmau strikes again in 2005! This icon wine from Marqués de Murrieta strikes all the right chords. The nose is round, toasty, warm and exotic, with huge berry and plum aromas sexed up by well-applied, fine-grained wood notes. It’s lush but balanced, with mineral, violet and bitter chocolate nuances adding complexity. Husky in size, but maintains its form and balance."
Dalmau Reserva 2004 Archived REVIEWS
Quarterly Review of Wines - Richard L. Elia - September 2008
"In the bouquet, there are wafting oak and spice notes, with deep rich blackberry fruit, plum, and currant tones in the flavors. A generous wine that's big and assertive, with a very long finish."
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - August 2008
95 points, Editors' "This is a spectacular wine in every sense of the word. The nose blends alluring scents of smoke, asphalt, rubber and black fruit. The palate is saturated and smooth, with black cherry and blackberry flavors leading the way. Coffee, berry pie and mocha help the finish hold court and then fade away. Already good but best from 2010-2020."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - April 2008
92 points "Dark ruby/purple-colored, it reveals an aromatic array of toasty new oak, spice box, mineral, blueberry, and black currants. Considerably more powerful than its traditionally made siblings, on the palate if is full-bodied, firm, layered, and quite concentrated. The spicy flavors fall on the dark side of the spectrum with blackberry, plum, and black currant in the forefront. The wine has at least a decade of aging potential and will be at its peak from 2015 to 2030 although it can be enjoyed now with a charcoal-grilled ribeye."
Pazo Barrantes Albariño
Pazo Barrantes Albariño 2010
Wine Enthusiast - Michael Schachner - May 2012
89 Points "Pretty to sniff, with aromas of lemon, fresh white fruits and minerals. Feels crisp, chiseled and racy, with blazing acidity propelling green apple, lime, green melon and saline flavors. Long on the finish."
The Wine Advocate - Jay Miller - June 30, 2011
90 Points "The 2010 Pazo Barrantes Albarino is a fragrant white that spent several months on its lees. Aromas and flavors of jasmine, lemon, and tropical notes are displayed on a smooth-textured platform featuring lively acidity, plenty of spice notes, and excellent balance. This lengthy effort will deliver pleasure for the next 3-4 years."
Pazo Barrantes Albariño 2006 Archived REVIEWS
Winery
Winery Archived REVIEWS
New York Times - Eric Asimov - August 11, 2009
"At Marqués de Murrieta’s 741-acre Ygay estate, just outside the city of Logroño, the grapes are planted in a mixture of bush and trellised vines. Today, V. Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, who took over the estate when his father died in 1996, is on a campaign to update his wines stylistically. 'We refused to change the identity,' he said. 'But we added more fruit to the wine, we release the wines sooner, we use newer oak and we leave the wine in oak less time.'"