93 RP
2019 - 2024
The more modern of the portfolio, the 2014 Dalmau Reserva is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Graciano from the Pago Canajas in the Murrieta estate. The varieties fermented separately for around 11 days, the Tempranillo in stainless steel and the rest in small oak vats. The wine matured in French oak barrels for 21 months. I tasted the following two vintages, which felt quite different, especially the 2016. This 2014 is a slightly weaker vintage and feels a little more marked by the élevage with some cedary notes, smoky and spicy with the herbal twist from the Cabernet. It has a minty touch, some fine-grained tannins and a round and elegant palate. This is the only wine from Murrieta that ages in 100% new French oak. 15,040 bottles were filled in July 2018.
2018 was the first harvest vinified in the new winery. After rebuilding the historical Castillo de Ygay, they decided to renovate the fermentation room. This year, the Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva was from the 2010 vintage, an excellent year in Rioja and one of the best in recent times for this iconic bottling. Their annual production averages 1.5 million bottles.
