“The city of Logroño is surrounded by several high mesas, pieces of the original plateau that still stand above the cliffs and the Ebro River valley below. The Pago La Plana is one of them, a flat mesa at an elevation of 1,590 feet, with close to 100 acres of vines at the top of Finca Ygay. On the north side of the plateau, the soil is limestone that hits solid rock five feet below, limiting the penetration of water; the soil shifts to round river stones to the southwest, where the tempranillo and mazuelo vines, planted in 1950, have been the exclusive source for Castillo Y gay since 2001 (prior to that, the wine included other parcels on the 740-acre estate). Great vin­tages of this wine can thrive for more than 50 years, and this vintage appears to be pretty great. It's grand and dynamic, a youthful ten-year-old. Initially austere, gripped by bitter plum-skin tannins and mouthwater­ing strawberry acidity, the wine opens with exposure to air and the fruit begins to blossom with an energy that defines what is great about Rioja.”

“The 2014 Gran Reserva Limited Edition, a barrel selection from the Reserva, is a blend of the more age-worthy wines. It's made up of 84% Tempranillo with 9% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, all from their 300 hectares of estate vineyards. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes fermented by plot and variety in stainless steel, and the varieties were kept separate throughout the 25 months of élevage in American barriques. When discussing the latest vintages, the 2014 is very curious: the harvest was truly challenging, with lots of rain, ripeness problems and botrytis; so, in principle, it didn't look like a good vintage, and they decided not to keep the red Castillo Ygay. But now, seeing the evolution of this wine, they are kicking themselves. The wine has a clear classical profile, with developed aromas of autumn forest, truffle, smoked cured meat, cigar ash and sweet spices. It's sleek and polished, with resolved, fine-grained tannins and a dry, serious finish. This is surprisingly good and should evolve nicely in bottle.”

“Really attractive floral aromas to the dark fruit, mushrooms and light chocolate. Full-bodied with lightly chewy tannins and lots of flavors of ripe fruit, spice, walnut, seaweed and cedar. Long and caressing. This is still youthful now, but promising so much for the future. Try after 2022.”

“A fully ripe nose runs deep with balsamic black fruit aromas as well as complex notes of graphite and fine oak. A plush palate offers that elusive depth of character that great wines display, while this modern-style Rioja tastes of black fruits as well as chocolate. A silky smooth finish shows barely any grit or bite. Drink now through 2028.”

“Dusty cherry, plum and cassis aromas are dry and complex, while this feels integrated and balanced just right. Cherry, red plum and cocoa flavors remain young and vibrant, while this pedigreed gran reserva offers its usual depth and length on the finish. Ten years in and this still has more in waiting. Drink through 2045.”