Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2009 750ml

Winemaker Notes

Only The Finest Vintages From The 741-Acre Ygay Estate Are Used To Make Castillo Ygay. This Gran Reserva Especial Is Made From Tempranillo And Mazuelo From Vineyards Located At 500 Meters Above Sea Level. Limited In Production And Sought After All Over The World, It Is The Worthy Choice For The Winery’s Emblematic Castillo Ygay Label.

Pairs Beautifully With Baked Beef Sirloin, Cameroon Black Pepper And Wild Mushrooms, As Well As Roasted Suckling Pig With Baked Acid Apple. Decanting The Wine For 20 Minutes Is Recommended. Best Enjoyed Between 64º- 66ºF.

Blend: 81% Tempranillo, 19% Mazuelo

Critical Acclaim

Wine & Spirits – 95pts

The Vines On The La Plana Plateau, The Highest Point Of The Estate, At 1,600 Feet In Elevation, Were 60 Years Old When Faced With The Heat Of The 2009 Vintage. The Majority Of This Wine Is Tempranillo, Harvested At The End Of September; 19 Percent Of The Blend Is Mazuelo (Carignan), Harvested A Week Later. The Wine Has The Richness Of The Vintage While The Fruit Holds Its Freshness, With Tart Plum And Strawberry Notes Helping To Shape All The Flavor Concentration. It’s A Fat Wine With Attitude, Packing Dense Tannins That Last For Minutes And Need A Decade Or More To Be Fully Absorbed Into The Fruit. It’s Supple, Heady And Delicious Now, And Significantly More Complex With Several Days Of Air, As It Will Be With Years Of Age.

James Suckling – 95pts

A Special Rioja That’s Traditional, But Not Old-Fashioned. Dusty, Licorice And Spice Nose With Red Fruit. A Cool And Elegant Wine, In Spite Of The Concentration. Long, Firm Finish. Expands With Aeration. From Vines Planted In 1945. Drink Or Hold.

Decanter – 95pts

2009 Was A Warm Year, A Good Vintage To Increase The Mazuelo Component (Up To 19%) In Order To Ensure Balancing Acidity Next To The Rich Dark Fruit. This Has Been Successfully Rendered, The Tannins Hitherto Tight And Fairly Chalky, But The Structure Warm And Embracing. Cassis And Blackberry Dominate The Fruit Profile, Then Black Pepper, Cloves And Even A Hint Of Cinnamon Providing A Spicy Backdrop. The Finish Is Powerful But Does Not Want For Elegance.

Wine Spectator – 94pts

Black Cherry, Plum, Clove, Cocoa And Mineral Flavors Are Rich And Harmonious In This Polished Red. Well-Integrated Tannins And Balsamic Acidity Keep This Balanced. Shows Focus And Depth, But Remains Very Fresh. Tempranillo And Mazuelo.