TASTING NOTE:
I also tasted an unbottled sample of the 2016 Rioja Reserva, which should be bottled in a couple of months, before the summer. What I tasted was the final blend, and it represents the year—2016 was a cooler year, and the wine also goes in that direction. 2016 saw a large crop, and the grapes for this cuvée were harvested at the end of September, going toward more finesse and subtleness, combined with the natural power. There was a change in the winery in 2016 that was finalized in 2018 with the new winery. The wine is textured and fine, and it's more elegant than the 2015 I tasted next to it. The detail and texture on the palate is different, and the quality of the tannins is completely different.
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 pts
Black olive and forest floor notes frame tangy black cherry and currant flavors in this polished red. Well-integrated tannins and orange peel acidity support the supple texture. Balanced, in a savory style. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2026.
-Wine Spectator, 91 pts
WINEMAKER'S NOTE:
Tangible proof of elegance, balance and constancy characteristic of the Marques de Murrieta Winery and its surrounding vineyards situated in the Ygay Estate, it is a red reserva wine with a balanced aging of two years 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 our identity and actuality. Marqués de Murrieta is more than a brand in the international market, it represents age-old wisdom expressed in one of the most recognized wines of Spain. With our daily work, respect and love for our land, the selection of the best grapes and the attention to detail throughout its almost four years of production, Marques de Murrieta is a safe and constant value of the best quality.
Blend: 87% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo, 2% Garnacha
