Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial

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In the glass

Aroma: dried apricot, beeswax, toasted almond, honey, saline

Palate: quince, preserved lemon, nutty depth, mineral

An extraordinarily rare white Gran Reserva, released decades after the harvest; the 1986 was relaunched to acclaim, with profound nutty, waxy oxidative complexity and electric acidity.

What it pairs with

• Roast turbot A grand white fish dish for one of Spain's grandest old whites.More wines for fish →
• Kokotxas de merluza Hake cheeks in pil pil meet the wine's gelatinous, nutty depth.More wines for fish →Find kokotxas de merluza on TableJourney →
• Aged hard cheese Crystalline cheese sharpens the white's saline, honeyed finish.More wines for cheese →

With cheese

Queso Camerano Our pick Long oak ageing, or a dash of manzanilla, gives these Viura whites an almond or hazelnut note and a saline edge with high acidity; that echoes a semicurado Camerano's salt and herb notes and, with no tannin, leaves the goat's milk in front.

How to serve Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial

Allow 35 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and decant. Open 30 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
2. Serve at 10-12°C. Cellar temperature (10-12°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a medium-sized white-wine glass: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roast turbot, Kokotxas de merluza, Aged hard cheese. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

The white Castillo Ygay is among the rarest aged whites in Spain, held for many years before release. The relaunched 1986 vintage became a collector's wine.

1. 1986Vintage later relaunched as a landmark aged white
2. 20171986 Blanco released to critical acclaim

Facts

Producer

Marques de Murrieta · visiting guide

Grapes

Viura (95%), Malvasia (5%)

Classification

DOCa Rioja

Oak

Extended ageing in oak, often more than a decade, before release

ABV

13.5%

Price

EUR 250 to 500 at retail

Drinking window

10 to 40 from vintage

First vintage

1986

Frequently asked about Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial

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