Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva

Rioja, Spain

Vintage:2020 (Current)

2018 (Past) | 2019 (Current) |

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Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2020
  • WA 94+

Reviews

The Wine Advocate 94+ Points February 29, 2024, Luis Gutiérrez

The 2020 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Here, Tempranillo is the backbone, making up 82% of the blend in the low-yielding vintage of 2019, complemented with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha. It has controlled ripeness at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.65 and 5.1 grams of acidity. I loved the aromatics here—floral and elegant, more in the style of the 2018 than the 2019. it's lighter, more elegant, fine-boned and has a silky texture and very fine tannins. Both 2019 and 2020 are very good, but 2020 is more my style. 980,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 21 months in American oak barrels.

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.

2020 will go down in history as an unforgettable year for Marqués de Murrieta. This vintage is a clear example of the winery's unwavering commitment to quality. Our flagship and great ambassador in the world tells us every year everything that happens in our estate. A story that in 2020 was marked by the resilience, commitment and good work of our great team in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A heroic harvest together with an arduous and exhaustive work in the winery gave us a greater precision of aromas and textures in this historic Marqués de Murrieta 2020. Also, this new vintage confirmed the journey we started in 2018 in our new technical facilities.

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 24 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: 82% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo, 3% Garnacha

Wine Alcohol: 14%

Aging: 21 months in 225-liter American oak