1994 Castillo Ygay
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In the 1990s, Castillo Ygay entered a new era in which, even with long aging, the wines aim to preserve a more primary expression. The 1994 Castillo Ygay (75% Tempranillo, 13% Mazuelo, 10% Garnacha, 2% Graciano) shows how decisive acidity can be here. It drives the wine and sits slightly high, while tertiary aromas already play in the truffle-and-wet-earth register with undertones of dried herbs. Freshness is still active, tannins remain lightly reactive and an herbal layer sits at the center of the palate. The acidity is striking and defining.
Critic scores
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
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1994 was the beginning of modern Rioja, and Marqués de Murrieta considered it to be a very high quality vintage, with 20% lower yields than usual, giving wines great tannic structure and the ability to age well. The 1994 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, produced with a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 13% Mazuelo, 10% Garnacha and 2% Graciano, matured in oak barrels for 50 months. It has 13.4% alcohol with 7.4 grams of acidity and 0.7 grams of volatile acidity, and it has tannic structure. In this decade, the winery had a big influence on the wines; there's more noticeable oak here despite a shorter élevage. The oak was still 100% American. The wine was bottled in May 1999.