In the glass
Aroma: dried cherry, tobacco leaf, cedar, balsamic, sweet spice
Palate: macerated red fruit, leather, truffle, fine tannin
The estate's flagship from the Ygay vineyard, released only in exceptional years after a decade-plus of ageing; the 2010 was named Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2020, a savoury, classical Gran Reserva of great longevity.
What it pairs with
-
Cordero asado al sarmiento
Vine-roasted lamb is the historic match for this grand old-school Gran Reserva. -
Roast partridge
Game's gaminess meets the wine's truffle and tobacco depth. -
Chuleton de buey
Find chuleton de buey on TableJourney →
Aged-beef chop frames the wine's fine tannin and savoury oak. -
Aged Idiazabal
Smoked Basque sheep cheese mirrors the wine's cedar and balsamic.
History
Castillo Ygay is the estate's prestige bottling from the oldest parcels of the Ygay vineyard, made only in exceptional vintages and aged for many years in oak and bottle. The 2010 was named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2020.
- 1917 — First Castillo Ygay vintage laid down
- 1986 — A legendary 1942 Castillo Ygay released after decades in cask
- 2020 — 2010 vintage named Wine Spectator Wine of the Year
Facts
- Producer
- Marques de Murrieta
- Grapes
- Tempranillo (84%), Mazuelo (16%)
- Classification
- DOCa Rioja
- Oak
- Long ageing in a mix of American and French oak, often more than a decade, plus extended bottle age before release
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 100 to 250 at retail
- Drinking window
- 10 to 40 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1917
Scores
- Wine Spectator 97 (2010 vintage, reviewed 2020)
- Tim Atkin 97 (2010 vintage, reviewed 2020)