Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010 (1.5L)

99 JS / 97 WA / 97 DE / 96 WS / 96 TA

#1 Wine Spectator Top 100 2020

Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards. - James Suckling

It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear. - Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate

Ygay these days is a blend of Tempranilo and Mazuelo, the later making up 15% in this vintage. 2010 will be remembered in the great vineyards of Europe as a classic year, elegant restraint and wonderful harmonious balance, even in youth, its key characteristics. The Ygay fits this template perfectly; plums and sloes, hints of blueberry and cassis, then figs, cocoa and sousbois, a distinct balsamic note to underline provenance. The Mazuelo etches fresh acidity and a powerful finish, leaving the Tempranillo the opportunity to dance flamboyantly on the mid-palate, the bringer of joy and harmony. - Simon Field, Decanter

Maturing well, this round red is a lovely example of the traditional style. Orange peel, dried cherry, forest floor, vanilla and black tea flavors mingle harmoniously over round tannins and citrusy acidity. Generous but gentle, lively, balanced and harmonious. Tempranillo and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2030. 680 cases imported. -  Wine Spectator

The latest is a run of brilliant releases under the Castillo Ygay label, this a cuvée the Tempranillo with 15% Mazuelo from La Plana vineyard, planted in 1950. Still young, with plenty of new American and French oak, vivid acidity, notes of green malt, blackberry and forest floor and impressive freshness, depth and concentration.- Wine of The Year, Tim Atkin MW, Rioja Special Report 2020