2020 Marques de Murrieta Capellania Reserva
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| Type of Wine | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | |
| Appellation | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2026 - 2045 |
| Available as of | Nov 30, 2025 |
In stock
146 items available
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Description
First - Available End of November 2025
About Marqués de Murrieta and the Ygay Estate
Marqués de Murrieta is one of Spain's oldest and most influential wineries. In 1852, Don Luciano de Murrieta brought French winemaking methods to Rioja, laying the foundation for modern Spanish wine culture. Today, the house is led by Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, who combines heritage with a contemporary vision. The winery is located on the historic Ygay Estate in Rioja Alta, where 300 hectares of vineyards surround Ygay Castle. This location, at cool altitudes with chalky soils, produces wines known for their freshness, finesse, and exceptional aging potential.
Marqués de Murrieta epitomizes Rioja's top-tier and is recognized worldwide for its classic style combined with modern precision. The estate works exclusively with its own grapes, harvesting them by hand and meticulously selecting them. Every detail, from vinification to aging, is focused on creating wines with balance, depth, and character. The Capellanía Reserva is the purest example of this.
The Capellanía vineyard and grape variety
The 2020 Capellanía Reserva comes from the six-hectare Capellanía vineyard, planted in 1945 at 485 meters altitude—the highest point on the Ygay Estate. The soil consists of calcareous clay, which contributes to the wine's mineral tension and complexity. The wine is 100% Viura, an indigenous varietal that displays exceptional elegance and aging potential in Rioja. The cool microclimate allows the grapes to retain their aromatic freshness, while the old vines provide concentration and depth.
Harvest, vinification and maturation
The 2020 harvest took place manually on September 22nd and 23rd. The grapes were carefully selected and immediately destemmed. After a short maceration on the skins, a gentle vertical pressing followed to extract the most aromatic juice. Fermentation took place in a 9,400-liter concrete vat at 10°C, resulting in a pure and precise expression of Viura. The wine was then aged for 20 months in 225-liter French Allier oak barrels, followed by 15 months in concrete tanks. This unique combination of wood and concrete gives the wine its silky texture, complexity, and longevity. The wine was bottled in December 2024, with a limited production of only 35,420 bottles and 1,204 magnums.
Color, smell and taste
The 2020 Capellanía has a bright straw-yellow color with subtle golden nuances. The nose is refined and expressive, with aromas of white fruit, hazelnut, almond, and a light touch of cream and minerality. On the palate, the wine is layered and full-bodied, with a silky texture and a harmonious balance between freshness and depth. The finish is long, nutty, and elegant, with a hint of saltiness reminiscent of Iberian ham fat and toasted nuts. This wine combines power with precision and will develop beautifully with bottle aging. It is excellent to enjoy now, but has the potential to age for at least 15 years or more.
A world-class white Rioja
The 2020 Capellanía Reserva is one of Spain's most acclaimed white wines and was named Best White Wine of 2025 by James Suckling with a score of 98 points . Suckling described the wine as "a superb old-vine Viura, with aromas of meringue, pine nuts, and stones, subtle macadamia, and precise white fruit. Not fruity, but gastronomic, clear and layered with an almost full body and a finish that lingers for minutes." He called it "probably the best Capellanía ever, with potential for at least 15 years of aging."
The wine also received high ratings from Tim Atkin, Robert Parker, and the Club Oenologique. The combination of old vines, meticulous vinification, and long aging makes this Capellanía a benchmark for white Rioja. It demonstrates how, under the right conditions, Viura can develop into a world-class wine – gastronomic, complex, and timeless.
Would you like to order Marqués de Murrieta wines online?
If available, you'll find the official fact sheet and additional information about this fine wine in the "Attachments" tab. We'll automatically send you these when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at the checkout page. We're located in Dordrecht, just off the A16 motorway with ample parking. Click here for our address. You can read full wine reviews from publications like Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator.
Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Wine and food pairings
- Pan-fried scallops with cauliflower cream – the nutty notes and creamy texture of the wine complement the soft texture of the scallops perfectly.
- Roasted lobster with beurre blanc – the subtle butteriness of the wine and its lingering finish make this a luxurious pairing.
- Risotto with Parmesan and truffle – the wine complements the rich flavours and adds freshness to the dish.
- Roast chicken with morels and cream sauce – the earthy character of the morels enhances the depth of the Viura.
- Pan-fried turbot with fennel and lemon sauce – the vibrant acidity and mineral notes harmonize with the delicate fish.
- Jamón Ibérico with roasted almonds – the salty and nutty notes from both the wine and ham complement each other beautifully.
Specifications
| Available as of | Nov 30, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Packing information | Case |
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Appellation | Rioja Alavesa |
| Winery | Marques de Murrieta |
| Grape | Viura |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2026 |
| Drinking till | 2045 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 93 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 94 |
| Tasting Profiles | Droog, Houtgerijpt, Strak, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Met vrienden, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
93
Drinking Window
2030 - 2045
From: The Diverse Villages of Rioja: A New Trend Emerges (May 2025)
The 2020 Marqués de Murrieta Capellanía is 100% Viura that aged for 20 months in barrels and 20 months in tanks. Still primary in nature, it presents fennel, wild herbs and restrained fruit—apple and pear—framed by subtle oak aromas. It is tightly wound with a clean, lingering finish. This needs another year or two to find full expression, but the potential is clear.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on May 2025
Among the marquéses of Rioja, Murrieta stands out as one of the most modern. Owner Vicente Dalmau leads a team committed to redefining the region’s classics, which he refers to as “Rancid Rioja.” With a technologically advanced winery and a focus on precision viticulture, Marqués de Murrieta is embracing the new Rioja, with one foot in the past and the other in the future. Their pursuit of more precise winemaking, careful management of large production volumes, and calibrated aging where fruit takes precedence over oak makes Murrieta a winery reinventing Rioja on its own terms.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score: 98
Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Capellanía 2020
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025
Color: White
Country: Spain
Region: La Rioja
Vintage: 2020
A fabulous old-vine viura, showing aromas of meringue, pine nuts and stones with subtle macadamia, precise white fruit and cream. Not fruity but really gastronomic. Clear, nuanced and bright, this has beautiful concentration on the almost full-bodied palate. Very long and textural. Fresh with just medium acidity. The finish lasts a minute with a nutty, oily feel reminiscent of jamon Iberico. Probably the best ever. Drink now or hold for the next 15-plus years.
Zekun Shuai
Senior Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
93
Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
From: The Many Riojas of Rioja: A Tale of Forking Paths (Apr 2024)
Viura is known for its bold palate and refreshing core. This presents a unique challenge for winemakers, who often emphasize one aspect over the other. However, the 2019 Capellanía achieves a remarkable balance of both. Sourced from Pago Capellanía, a vineyard planted in 1945 within the highest plateau of Finca Ygay in Rioja Alta, the 2019 aged for 23 months in French oak barrels. Exhibiting a yellow hue with a golden sheen, it offers fruity aromas intertwined with a subtle oak backbone, accentuated by notes of caramel, flan and a hint of fennel. On the palate, it is both creamy and refreshing, leaving behind a lingering, subtle chalky texture.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on December 2023
Three things immediately strike you when you set foot in Marqués de Murrieta’s winery. The first is the size and contours of the vineyard, which stretches out around the winery for 200 hectares in carefully outlined parcels. The second is the technological investment: Since 2014, every aspect of winemaking has been integrated into software that monitors everything from the bars of pressure of the press to the barrel numbers and accounts. Third, you cannot help but notice that the new structures pay respect to the pre-existing winery's original stone and wood architecture – it may not have made much business sense, but it certainly speaks to the owner’s love of wine. Said owner, Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, runs a team fully bought into the winery’s present and future. María Vargas oversees production, delivering a precise style rich in nuance and connected to the land. Look to the Marqués de Murrieta bottling for polished tannins and well-integrated aging, while the Dalmau exhibits a more New World approach.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
Bodegas that bears his name, but is also considered to be the founder of the modern wine trade in the Rioja. Luciano Murrieta was born in 1822 in what was then the Spanish province of Peru. After the independence of Peru, he ended up in London. Here he marveled at the popularity of Bordeaux wines and was inspired by this style of winemaking, where the wines matured in wooden casks for a period of time. In 1852 he exported his first wines and was so successful that other vintners followed his techniques.
Today Marquès de Murrieta is the oldest active wine company in the Rioja. In 1983, the company was acquired by Duke of Creixell, Vincente Cebrián. This preserves the family element of the wine company. After his sudden death in 1996, his children led by Vicente jr took the helm and continued their father's perfectionism.
Vicente (2nd call sign Dalmau) was born in 1970. He spends his youth alternately in Madrid and Galicia, where he spends summers in Pazo Barrantes, the winery that has been owned by his family since the 16th century. His roots and the good times he spent in Galicia have forever given this area a special place in his heart.
After his studies in Madrid, he continued his education in the USA and after returning to Spain he completed his university education (Economics, Business & Law degrees). From that moment on, Vincente will fully focus on his father's company, of which he will lead after his unexpected death in 1996. In the years that followed, he and his sister Cristina revolutionized the bodega in a revolutionary way and the quality of the wines reached very high heights: they are now among the best in the world. The Cebrian-Sagarriga Suarez Llanos family owns two wineries; Marqués de Murrieta (Rioja DOCa) and Pazo de Barrantes (Rías Baixas DO).
The bodega has about 300 hectares of vineyards, and grows grapes such as tempranillo, garnacha, graciano and mazuelo for the red wines, and viura for the white wine. Of course, everything revolves around the highest quality. Tradition also plays a major role: Marqués de Murrieta makes classic Rioja. Tradition, however, is not the same as standstill, because, as Vicente Dalmau's father put it, you must constantly change everything so that everything can remain the same. That's exactly what happens. For example, the family had the old company building demolished and almost exactly the same rebuilt, but with the most modern gadgets. And that is also how she works on the wines: they are getting better, but never lose their identity.
All the vineyards of Finca Ygay (Marqués de Murrieta), together about 300 ha, are located at the bodega and are owned by the family. The now completely renovated Castillo Ygay is the headquarters of Marqués de Murrieta. Finca Ygay has significant differences in soil. The height of the vineyards varies from 300 to 500 m and the area falls under Rioja Alta. These differences in soil conditions give Murrieta the opportunity to produce varied wines.
The relatively cool location makes this area ideal for the production of the most refined wines. The largest vineyard: Valsalado produces the grapes for the Murrieta Reserva. The highest part of the domain is called La Plana. The grapes from this area (Tempranillo and Mazuelo), from old vines on loam, form the basis for the world-famous Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay (which is made only in good years) and the excellent white wine Capellania. This wine, aged for 15 months in French oak; a Burgundian-looking wine, but also a beautiful and modern white Rioja. The somewhat lower Las Canajas vineyard, where Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in the 1980s, has a pebble and calcareous clay soil. Since 1994, the grapes from this area have been the basis for Dalmau, the "modern" Murrieta, named after Vicente Dalmau jr., One of the current owners.
Very rare is the rare white Castillo Ygay from 1986 (100 Parker points!), But still very vital! This wine is an assembly of Viura and Malvasia.
The oenologist Maria Vargas, originally from Argentina, has been responsible for the winery's wines since 1995. A winged statement of her is that oak wood in a wine is like a woman's perfume, it should never predominate. She subtly uses American oak from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Tempranillo is the main blue grape, with smaller quantities of Graciano, Garnacha and Carinena and Marqués de Murrieta is one of the few Bodegas in Rioja to use Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the preparation of their wines. Viura and a very small amount of Malvasia is mainly cultivated as a white grape.
Click here for a nice video report of this famous house
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First - Available End of November 2025
About Marqués de Murrieta and the Ygay Estate
Marqués de Murrieta is one of Spain's oldest and most influential wineries. In 1852, Don Luciano de Murrieta brought French winemaking methods to Rioja, laying the foundation for modern Spanish wine culture. Today, the house is led by Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, who combines heritage with a contemporary vision. The winery is located on the historic Ygay Estate in Rioja Alta, where 300 hectares of vineyards surround Ygay Castle. This location, at cool altitudes with chalky soils, produces wines known for their freshness, finesse, and exceptional aging potential.
Marqués de Murrieta epitomizes Rioja's top-tier and is recognized worldwide for its classic style combined with modern precision. The estate works exclusively with its own grapes, harvesting them by hand and meticulously selecting them. Every detail, from vinification to aging, is focused on creating wines with balance, depth, and character. The Capellanía Reserva is the purest example of this.
The Capellanía vineyard and grape variety
The 2020 Capellanía Reserva comes from the six-hectare Capellanía vineyard, planted in 1945 at 485 meters altitude—the highest point on the Ygay Estate. The soil consists of calcareous clay, which contributes to the wine's mineral tension and complexity. The wine is 100% Viura, an indigenous varietal that displays exceptional elegance and aging potential in Rioja. The cool microclimate allows the grapes to retain their aromatic freshness, while the old vines provide concentration and depth.
Harvest, vinification and maturation
The 2020 harvest took place manually on September 22nd and 23rd. The grapes were carefully selected and immediately destemmed. After a short maceration on the skins, a gentle vertical pressing followed to extract the most aromatic juice. Fermentation took place in a 9,400-liter concrete vat at 10°C, resulting in a pure and precise expression of Viura. The wine was then aged for 20 months in 225-liter French Allier oak barrels, followed by 15 months in concrete tanks. This unique combination of wood and concrete gives the wine its silky texture, complexity, and longevity. The wine was bottled in December 2024, with a limited production of only 35,420 bottles and 1,204 magnums.
Color, smell and taste
The 2020 Capellanía has a bright straw-yellow color with subtle golden nuances. The nose is refined and expressive, with aromas of white fruit, hazelnut, almond, and a light touch of cream and minerality. On the palate, the wine is layered and full-bodied, with a silky texture and a harmonious balance between freshness and depth. The finish is long, nutty, and elegant, with a hint of saltiness reminiscent of Iberian ham fat and toasted nuts. This wine combines power with precision and will develop beautifully with bottle aging. It is excellent to enjoy now, but has the potential to age for at least 15 years or more.
A world-class white Rioja
The 2020 Capellanía Reserva is one of Spain's most acclaimed white wines and was named Best White Wine of 2025 by James Suckling with a score of 98 points . Suckling described the wine as "a superb old-vine Viura, with aromas of meringue, pine nuts, and stones, subtle macadamia, and precise white fruit. Not fruity, but gastronomic, clear and layered with an almost full body and a finish that lingers for minutes." He called it "probably the best Capellanía ever, with potential for at least 15 years of aging."
The wine also received high ratings from Tim Atkin, Robert Parker, and the Club Oenologique. The combination of old vines, meticulous vinification, and long aging makes this Capellanía a benchmark for white Rioja. It demonstrates how, under the right conditions, Viura can develop into a world-class wine – gastronomic, complex, and timeless.
Would you like to order Marqués de Murrieta wines online?
If available, you'll find the official fact sheet and additional information about this fine wine in the "Attachments" tab. We'll automatically send you these when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at the checkout page. We're located in Dordrecht, just off the A16 motorway with ample parking. Click here for our address. You can read full wine reviews from publications like Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator.
Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Wine and food pairings
- Pan-fried scallops with cauliflower cream – the nutty notes and creamy texture of the wine complement the soft texture of the scallops perfectly.
- Roasted lobster with beurre blanc – the subtle butteriness of the wine and its lingering finish make this a luxurious pairing.
- Risotto with Parmesan and truffle – the wine complements the rich flavours and adds freshness to the dish.
- Roast chicken with morels and cream sauce – the earthy character of the morels enhances the depth of the Viura.
- Pan-fried turbot with fennel and lemon sauce – the vibrant acidity and mineral notes harmonize with the delicate fish.
- Jamón Ibérico with roasted almonds – the salty and nutty notes from both the wine and ham complement each other beautifully.
| Available as of | Nov 30, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Packing information | Case |
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Appellation | Rioja Alavesa |
| Winery | Marques de Murrieta |
| Grape | Viura |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2026 |
| Drinking till | 2045 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 93 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 94 |
| Tasting Profiles | Droog, Houtgerijpt, Strak, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Met vrienden, Open haard |
Parker
93
Drinking Window
2030 - 2045
From: The Diverse Villages of Rioja: A New Trend Emerges (May 2025)
The 2020 Marqués de Murrieta Capellanía is 100% Viura that aged for 20 months in barrels and 20 months in tanks. Still primary in nature, it presents fennel, wild herbs and restrained fruit—apple and pear—framed by subtle oak aromas. It is tightly wound with a clean, lingering finish. This needs another year or two to find full expression, but the potential is clear.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on May 2025
Among the marquéses of Rioja, Murrieta stands out as one of the most modern. Owner Vicente Dalmau leads a team committed to redefining the region’s classics, which he refers to as “Rancid Rioja.” With a technologically advanced winery and a focus on precision viticulture, Marqués de Murrieta is embracing the new Rioja, with one foot in the past and the other in the future. Their pursuit of more precise winemaking, careful management of large production volumes, and calibrated aging where fruit takes precedence over oak makes Murrieta a winery reinventing Rioja on its own terms.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score: 98
Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Capellanía 2020
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025
Color: White
Country: Spain
Region: La Rioja
Vintage: 2020
A fabulous old-vine viura, showing aromas of meringue, pine nuts and stones with subtle macadamia, precise white fruit and cream. Not fruity but really gastronomic. Clear, nuanced and bright, this has beautiful concentration on the almost full-bodied palate. Very long and textural. Fresh with just medium acidity. The finish lasts a minute with a nutty, oily feel reminiscent of jamon Iberico. Probably the best ever. Drink now or hold for the next 15-plus years.
Zekun Shuai
Senior Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
93
Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
From: The Many Riojas of Rioja: A Tale of Forking Paths (Apr 2024)
Viura is known for its bold palate and refreshing core. This presents a unique challenge for winemakers, who often emphasize one aspect over the other. However, the 2019 Capellanía achieves a remarkable balance of both. Sourced from Pago Capellanía, a vineyard planted in 1945 within the highest plateau of Finca Ygay in Rioja Alta, the 2019 aged for 23 months in French oak barrels. Exhibiting a yellow hue with a golden sheen, it offers fruity aromas intertwined with a subtle oak backbone, accentuated by notes of caramel, flan and a hint of fennel. On the palate, it is both creamy and refreshing, leaving behind a lingering, subtle chalky texture.
- By Joaquín Hidalgo on December 2023
Three things immediately strike you when you set foot in Marqués de Murrieta’s winery. The first is the size and contours of the vineyard, which stretches out around the winery for 200 hectares in carefully outlined parcels. The second is the technological investment: Since 2014, every aspect of winemaking has been integrated into software that monitors everything from the bars of pressure of the press to the barrel numbers and accounts. Third, you cannot help but notice that the new structures pay respect to the pre-existing winery's original stone and wood architecture – it may not have made much business sense, but it certainly speaks to the owner’s love of wine. Said owner, Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, runs a team fully bought into the winery’s present and future. María Vargas oversees production, delivering a precise style rich in nuance and connected to the land. Look to the Marqués de Murrieta bottling for polished tannins and well-integrated aging, while the Dalmau exhibits a more New World approach.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Bodegas that bears his name, but is also considered to be the founder of the modern wine trade in the Rioja. Luciano Murrieta was born in 1822 in what was then the Spanish province of Peru. After the independence of Peru, he ended up in London. Here he marveled at the popularity of Bordeaux wines and was inspired by this style of winemaking, where the wines matured in wooden casks for a period of time. In 1852 he exported his first wines and was so successful that other vintners followed his techniques.
Today Marquès de Murrieta is the oldest active wine company in the Rioja. In 1983, the company was acquired by Duke of Creixell, Vincente Cebrián. This preserves the family element of the wine company. After his sudden death in 1996, his children led by Vicente jr took the helm and continued their father's perfectionism.
Vicente (2nd call sign Dalmau) was born in 1970. He spends his youth alternately in Madrid and Galicia, where he spends summers in Pazo Barrantes, the winery that has been owned by his family since the 16th century. His roots and the good times he spent in Galicia have forever given this area a special place in his heart.
After his studies in Madrid, he continued his education in the USA and after returning to Spain he completed his university education (Economics, Business & Law degrees). From that moment on, Vincente will fully focus on his father's company, of which he will lead after his unexpected death in 1996. In the years that followed, he and his sister Cristina revolutionized the bodega in a revolutionary way and the quality of the wines reached very high heights: they are now among the best in the world. The Cebrian-Sagarriga Suarez Llanos family owns two wineries; Marqués de Murrieta (Rioja DOCa) and Pazo de Barrantes (Rías Baixas DO).
The bodega has about 300 hectares of vineyards, and grows grapes such as tempranillo, garnacha, graciano and mazuelo for the red wines, and viura for the white wine. Of course, everything revolves around the highest quality. Tradition also plays a major role: Marqués de Murrieta makes classic Rioja. Tradition, however, is not the same as standstill, because, as Vicente Dalmau's father put it, you must constantly change everything so that everything can remain the same. That's exactly what happens. For example, the family had the old company building demolished and almost exactly the same rebuilt, but with the most modern gadgets. And that is also how she works on the wines: they are getting better, but never lose their identity.
All the vineyards of Finca Ygay (Marqués de Murrieta), together about 300 ha, are located at the bodega and are owned by the family. The now completely renovated Castillo Ygay is the headquarters of Marqués de Murrieta. Finca Ygay has significant differences in soil. The height of the vineyards varies from 300 to 500 m and the area falls under Rioja Alta. These differences in soil conditions give Murrieta the opportunity to produce varied wines.
The relatively cool location makes this area ideal for the production of the most refined wines. The largest vineyard: Valsalado produces the grapes for the Murrieta Reserva. The highest part of the domain is called La Plana. The grapes from this area (Tempranillo and Mazuelo), from old vines on loam, form the basis for the world-famous Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay (which is made only in good years) and the excellent white wine Capellania. This wine, aged for 15 months in French oak; a Burgundian-looking wine, but also a beautiful and modern white Rioja. The somewhat lower Las Canajas vineyard, where Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in the 1980s, has a pebble and calcareous clay soil. Since 1994, the grapes from this area have been the basis for Dalmau, the "modern" Murrieta, named after Vicente Dalmau jr., One of the current owners.
Very rare is the rare white Castillo Ygay from 1986 (100 Parker points!), But still very vital! This wine is an assembly of Viura and Malvasia.
The oenologist Maria Vargas, originally from Argentina, has been responsible for the winery's wines since 1995. A winged statement of her is that oak wood in a wine is like a woman's perfume, it should never predominate. She subtly uses American oak from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Tempranillo is the main blue grape, with smaller quantities of Graciano, Garnacha and Carinena and Marqués de Murrieta is one of the few Bodegas in Rioja to use Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the preparation of their wines. Viura and a very small amount of Malvasia is mainly cultivated as a white grape.
Click here for a nice video report of this famous house
Wine Trivia
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Sign In+ 4 more attachments