2020 - 2026
I also tasted an unbottled sample of the 2016 Rioja Reserva, which should be bottled in a couple of months, before the summer. What I tasted was the final blend, and it represents the year—2016 was a cooler year, and the wine also goes in that direction. 2016 saw a large crop, and the grapes for this cuvée were harvested at the end of September, going toward more finesse and subtleness, combined with the natural power. There was a change in the winery in 2016 that was finalized in 2018 with the new winery. The wine is textured and fine, and it's more elegant than the 2015 I tasted next to it. The detail and texture on the palate is different, and the quality of the tannins is completely different. This should be released in early 2020. There will be almost 1.1 million bottles of this, which is remarkable, as they have managed to increase quality and quantity.
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.
