Rioja Icon, Castillo Ygay 2011: Best priced, Best Scored Vintage, 20% Below Release Price

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Only bottled in exceptional years, below are the last eight vintages produced showing Wine Advocate ratings and current UK prices.  The Ygay 2011 clearly stands out as smart buy and has now entered its window with another twenty years of drinking ahead. The next release will be the 2016.

Founded in 1852, Marqués de Murrieta holds a defining place in the history of Rioja. Its founder, Don Luciano de Murrieta, was the first to apply Bordeaux-inspired winemaking techniques to Rioja, including controlled barrel ageing and blending, and was also among the first to export Spanish wine internationally. His vision helped lay the groundwork for the region’s reputation for quality and longevity.

In 1877, Don Luciano established the Ygay Estate in Rioja Alta, creating one of Spain’s first château-style properties, where vineyard, winery, and ageing facilities were integrated on a single estate. This holistic approach remains central to the Murrieta philosophy today. The estate’s flagship wine, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, is produced only in exceptional vintages and sourced exclusively from the estate’s highest and oldest plot, La Plana, planted in 1950. It is a wine of remarkable structure, finesse, and ageing potential, widely recognised as one of Rioja’s most iconic and age worthy wines.

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Rioja Icon, Castillo Ygay 2011: Best priced, Best Scored Vintage, 20% Below Release Price