1986 Marqués de Murrieta - Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva

1986 Marqués de Murrieta - Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco (100 pts) @marquesdemurrieta ℹ️ This wine is from Rioja, Spain. It is 97% Viura and 3% Malvasia. The grapes for this wine come from Pago Capellanía, which was planted in 1945 at an altitude of 485 m in the highest area of their Finca Ygay (Rioja Alta) estate vineyard. The wine was aged in American oak barrels for 252 months (not a typo), then in a concrete tank for 67 months. The wine was bottled in January 2014 and then rested for almost 3 years before release. Sidenote: There was a small limited release of this wine in 1992. 👁 Deep amber color. 👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried orange peel, dried apricot, salted Marcona almond, hay, saltine cracker, licorice, dried flowers, acacia, chrysanthemum, tarragon, grilled peach, oak, pickle brine, and butterscotch candy. 👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), and medium+ body. Weighty and creamy texture on the palate with American oak-infused flavors of coriander seed, tarragon, and licorice. An extremely long and layered finish of salted almonds, dried citrus peel, dried flowers, and butterscotch candy. 🔔 This wine is costly at ~$500 a bottle, but given how long it was "cared for" at the winery, it seems to be justified. Not everyone will like this wine due to the extremely long duration in American oak barrels, but there is no doubting the complexity and depth of this wine. Is this wine perfect? For my taste, this wine is at a pinnacle, and I cannot critique anything that would make this wine superior. 1986 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Blanco is a complete and harmonious package that showcases a thought-provoking story that unfolds slowly in the glass with every swirl. A stunning wine and I feel lucky to have tried it for the second time. #vin #lovewine #🍷 #wineterroir #wine #rioja #riojawine #marquesdemurrieta #granreserva #vinoblanco #viura #riojawines