2022 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja

Product Description

The history of Marqués de Murrieta is, in many ways, the history of Rioja itself. In 1852, Don Luciano de Murrieta, having learned the art of fine winemaking in Bordeaux, returned to Spain and applied those techniques to the grapes of Rioja, creating what the estate considers the region’s first fine wine made for ageing. His ambition reached far beyond Spain: he shipped that very first 1852 vintage to Mexico and Cuba, taking Rioja onto the international stage for the first time. From the outset, his vision was clear: elegant, long-lived wines of real distinction, worthy of the world’s finest tables.

The heart of the estate is the Castillo de Ygay, a historic building at the centre of the vineyards near Logroño. Its first great wines were even labelled “Château Ygay”, until the French objected and the name became the Castillo Ygay that wine lovers revere today. Since 1983 Marqués de Murrieta has been in the hands of the Cebrián-Sagarriga family, led today by Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell. Under their stewardship the estate has been renewed without losing its soul: the Castillo was declared a museum in 2019, and in 2021 a striking new winery was completed alongside it, marrying cutting-edge technology with more than 170 years of tradition.

Every Murrieta wine is born on the Finca Ygay, a single 300-hectare estate in the south of Rioja Alta that surrounds the winery and allows meticulous control from vine to bottle. The vineyards rise from 320 to 485 metres on soils of clay and limestone with alluvial influence, where a privileged climate and painstaking care produce fruit of great purity and balance. The winemaking team, led by María Vargas, combines the classic Murrieta style with precise modern techniques, guided by a simple ambition: the tireless pursuit of perfection.

The Marqués de Murrieta Rioja is the estate’s ambassador to the world and the purest expression of the Finca Ygay. Tempranillo forms the heart of the blend, joined by Graciano, Mazuelo and a touch of Garnacha, each variety bringing its own character. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is aged for around two years in American oak barrels and then rested in bottle before release. The result is classic, elegant Rioja: ripe red and black fruit, redcurrant and blackberry, layered with sweet spice, cedar, vanilla and a hint of fresh herbs, with fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity and a long, harmonious finish. Wonderful with roast lamb, grilled meats and aged Manchego, it is a timeless taste of one of Spain’s most historic houses.