Marqués de Murrieta 170th Anniversay Reserva Set (2012-2017)

Marqués de Murrieta celebrates its 170th Anniversary with this special box, a vertical of Marqués de Murrieta Reserva that goes from the 2012 vintage to the 2017 vintage. This 170th Anniversary wooden box, is a historical collection of the last 6 vintages of Marqués de Murrieta Reserva. A unique opportunity to enjoy the essence of Marqués de Murrieta over recent years.

2012

Wine Advocate 92: The red blend 2013 Rioja Reserva is mostly Tempranillo with 9% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha, a proportion that is very similar from year to year as they want this blend to show the typicity of the Ygay estate. They blend grapes from different vineyards, soils, expositions and altitudes in search of a traditional, fine and elegant red aged in American oak barrels with more modern characteristics like fruit, mid-palate and integration of the oak. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes fermented separately in stainless steel vats and the wine matured in barrel for 18 months. This is a somehow unusual vintage of Murrieta Reserva from a challenging vintage, with aromas of beef blood, sweet spices and red cherries. The palate is vibrant with citrus acidity, flavors of acid berries and an elegant, long finish. Unusual, but I like it. 900,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in seven lots between July and September 2016.

James Suckling 93: Terrific aromas of currants, berries, cinnamon and perfume. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a dense palate. Superb length and refinement. Compact. Super length. Superb quality considering the price. More delicate and refined than the 2010. Precise. Drink or hold.

2013

Wine Advocate 92: The Viura grapes for the 2013 Capellanía were harvested on October 10th and 11th, lightly and slowly pressed, the juice let to settle, racked off the solids and put to ferment at a low temperature in stainless steel. The wine always matures in new French oak barrels for 15 months. This is still very young, and the oak is still a little present, and it might need some more bottle age to integrate it. At least that's what I saw in the 2012, which I tasted next to this, and it has had the advantage of one extra year in bottle. 2013 was a small vintage, they had to sort and do a strict selection. They usually produce between 20,000 and 40,000 bottles, and this time it was 21,281 bottles. It was bottled in March 2017.

2014

Wine Advocate 93: The blend of the 2014 Rioja Reserva is very similar to the 2013, 84% Tempranillo with 9% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha. 2014 was a somewhat-challenging vintage, with warm and cold spells and some rain during the summer. The fermentation usually lasts eight days with pigéage and remontage, pressed and put to age in 225-liter American oak barrels for 19 months. This is still a little young and has had less time in bottle. It might need a little bit more time in bottle. The nose is subtle and very harmonious, with aromas of red cherries and some aromatic herbs. The palate is soft, it has a velvety texture with polished, round tannins, and there is a subtlety and harmony that is laudable. 900,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in seven lots between July and September 2017.

2015

Wine Advocate 93: The red blend 2015 Rioja Reserva is 80% Tempranillo with 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, a little more Graciano and Mazuelo, something logical in ripe and warm years like 2015. It's produced with grapes from a diversity of the 30 different plots within the estate, to represent the character of if. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for 18 months. It's spicy and somewhat balsamic, with some dusty tannins. It's a ripe and powerful vintage that only suffers next to the 2016 I tasted next to it when there's a jump in precision and finesse. This is by far the largest volume produced at Murrieta, with almost one million bottles.

2016

Wine Advocate 93-94: 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. This should be released in early 2020. There will be almost 1.1 million bottles of this, which is remarkable, as they have managed to increase quality and quantity.

2017

Wine Advocate 93: The red 2017 Rioja Reserva is their flagship wine, of which they produce 900,000 bottles exclusively from grapes from their 300 hectares of estate vineyards. It's a blend of 83% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo (Cariñena) and 2% Garnacha and has the character of the vintage, ripe and warm but without excess. The varieties fermented separately, even different plots fermented separately, and they also aged in barrel on their own. The blend is done at the end, after 20 months in American oak barrels. 2017 was a challenging year that they still consider a better vintage than 2018, as they see more concentration and power. The wine is quite lactic and creamy, still showing very young. It does feel undeveloped and in need of some time in bottle. The wine has concentration and clout, and I always consider it an ultimate example of an updated classical Reserva from Rioja. 2017 was the earliest harvest (started and finished in September), a warm and dry year when the Ygay estate miraculously escaped the terrible frost that decimated most of Europe. The challenge for this wine was to contain the ripeness and power, and they have done it. This will be released in spring 2021, so it should be a lot more integrated by then. This is always a sure value. Volumes are lower this year.