Marqués de Murrieta Reserva
Rioja, Spain
Vintage:2021 (Current)
2019 (Past) | 2020 (Current) |
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Reviews
Vinous Media 94 Points
The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta blends 86% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 8% Graciano and 2% Garnacha. This aged for 26 months in barrels. The complex nose offers cherry, traces of camphor and cassis, dried flowers and blood orange. In the mouth, it's juicy, supple and layered, with flexible tannins and a rich, sustained finish. The 2021 is a refined, expressive red enhanced by an elegant vintage.
The Wine Advocate 95 Points
Their flagship wine comes from one of the finest vintages in recent times. The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta was previously called the Reserva and still qualifies as such, but it's not included in the name now. It was produced with 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha Tinta from their 300 hectares of vines in their Ygay estate on limestone and clay soils with alluvial influence. The grapes were picked between the 27th of September and the 15th of October, and each plot and variety was vinified separately in stainless steel, matured in American oak barrels for 26 months, then blended and kept in concrete for a few months until bottling, which was a longer élevage this year. It's very spicy, peppery, with a combination of berry fruit and some incipient tertiary aromas, hints of forest floor and truffle. It's very Rioja, with clout, elegance and freshness and the elegant tannins that are the signature of 2021. It comes in at 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, denoting ripeness and balance. It's delicious, fresh and available. Bravo! This will be released in May 2025.
Overview
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva is a traditional Rioja wine crafted in the classic Murrieta signature style and enjoying all the benefits of modern winemaking philosophy, equipment and techniques. Made from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, this wine embodies ripe fruit qualities with a perfect balance of acidity, supple roundness on the palate and a hint of new oak. The Marqués de Murrieta vineyards on the 741-acre Ygay Estate are located in Rioja Alta between 320 meters to 485 meters above sea level.
The Cebrián-Sagarriga family, who in 1983 acquired the winery, established in 1852, has a distinct winemaking philosophy that is founded in the pursuit of quality and excellence through tradition and innovation.
Winemaking
Tangible proof of elegance, balance and constancy characteristic of the winery and its surrounding vineyards situated in the Ygay estate, this is a Rioja Reserva with a balanced aging of 26 months in new and partly new American oak barrels and a year and a half in bottle. The result is an elegant wine that combines complexity and fineness, summing up the best attributes of Marqués de Murrieta's identity and actuality.
Grapes are first de-stemmed and then fermented in stainless steel tanks for eight days at controlled temperature in constant skin contact. During fermentation, pumping over and punching down operations are regularly carried out. These processes ensure both effective and gentle color and aroma extraction. Afterwards, the solid parts of the grapes are pressed in vertical presses with double screws.
Tasting Notes
A great commitment to excellence translated into an elegant and precise wine that dazzles with its appealing fragrance and indelible finish.
Food Pairing
Pairs beautifully with milk-fed lamb chops with buttermilk, asparagus and red wine; suckling pig confit with its crunchy skin and caramelized apple. Decanting the wine for 20 minutes is recommended. Best enjoyed between 59º- 61ºF.
Technical Information
Varietals: 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo, 2% Garnacha
Wine Alcohol: 14%
Aging: 26 months in 225-liter American oak