2006 Capellania Reserva Blanco

(100% viura, basket-pressed and raised in 100% new French oak): Light yellow-gold. Deeply pitched aromas of white peach, pineapple and pear, with toasty lees and a vanilla note adding complexity. Lush, sappy and oak-spicy, with very good intensity and focus to its pit and tropical fruit flavors. Picks up a zesty lemony quality that adds bite to the long, spicy finish.

Mid gold. Almost sherrified nose. Low acid. Just a bit flat. Medium everything but no spark. Lemon and wax. Substantial finish.  Will this get better? I find it difficult to believe but have suggested waiting just in case. (JR)

The 2006 Capellania was sourced from low-yielding 60-year-old vines that spent 15 months in new French oak. Aromas of toast, baking spices, almonds, butterscotch, and melon lead to a smooth-textured, rich, savory wine with well-integrated acidity that cleans the palate. This lengthy effort is capable of evolving for several years and is likely to drink well through 2021. 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 ancient 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. Importer: Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland CA; Tel. (510) 587-2000