I reported on the current release, the 2001 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, previously but underrated it slightly. This cuvee is sourced from a single plot called La Plana planted at over 1500 feet of elevation. It is made up of 93% Tempranillo and 7% Mazuelo chosen for its acidity. The wine is aged for 10 months in new American oak followed by 21 months in seasoned oak. It is then held in bottle for 3-4 years prior to release. Deeply colored, spicy, elegant and complex, the wine has great volume and grip as well as exceptional length. It can be approached now but will easily have a 30 year lifespan. Marques de Murrieta is a family owned bodega impeccably run by V. Dalmau Cebrian-Sagarriga who took over from his father in 1996. The estate owns 741 acres of vineyard and is in the process of making dramatic improvements to the physical plant. The Bodega manages to straddle the traditional style with the Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial and the modern style with Dalmau. A bit of white wine is also produced in a style updated from the ancien regime. Marques de Murietta’s flagship is the Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. When I visited the estate in May 2010, I was able to taste several venerable and beautifully maintained vintages including 1934, 1952, and 1978 among others. Whether these new releases will approach the heights of their ancestors remains to be seen (those wines spent 18 to 40 years in barrique) but they are amazingly well priced, traditionally made Riojas that will live for many years.