2012 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
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Tasting notes
This shows a very attractive nose of dried roses, subtle chocolate, dried red fruit, spices and smoke for a fleshy and inviting aromatic profile. On the palate, it is both delineated and fleshy yet remains linear, with fresh acidity bringing vibrancy and drive, supported by elegant fruit. The tannins are remarkable, soft and melting, giving a controlled structure. Vibrant and youthful, it can be enjoyed now, but it has the build to age for decades. A blend of tempranillo and 19% mazuelo, Drink or hold.
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James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Currently in a shutting-down phase, the 2012 Castillo Ygay (81% Tempranillo, 19% Mazuelo, Rioja Alta) feels as if it is pulling its shoulders in before a long sleep. A touch of reduction is present. The fruit is moving toward tertiary territory, with menthol hints and dried plum nuance over a background of oak and subtle herbal tones. There is complexity in motion, including a beeswax note. Dry and gently enveloping, it carries lively grip and palpable energy, projecting a long life ahead. Ideally, it should be revisited no sooner than four years from now.
With 19% Mazuelo, the 2012 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Tempranillo is medium-bodied, with subtle power and tannin, leathery on the palate with a taste of fig and baked plum. A wine first made in 1877, the grapes are sourced from vines planted at La Plana in 1950. Drink now through 2032. Marques De Murrieta is the Rioja-based sister brand of Pazo De Barrantes in Rias Baixas.
I tasted again the 2012 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, as the wine was not produced in 2013, 2014 or 2015 and the 2016 will not be released until 2027. The next vintages will be 2017, 2019 and 2021. The 2012 was produced with a blend of 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo (Cariñena) from the plot La Plana in the Ygay estate, which was planted in 1950 at 485 meters above sea level, the highest in the Ygay property. The Tempranillo was picked between September 17th and 19th, and the Mazuelo was harvested on September 25th. The bunches were destemmed and lightly crushed and put to ferment in stainless steel for 10 days with constant pump-overs and délestages. The Tempranillo matured for 34 months in American oak barrels, and the Mazuelo also matured for 34 months but in French barriques, then it was blended and put in concrete for a further 20 months. It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.8 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter). It's spicy, with abundant notes of forest floor, truffles and dry leaves, cigar ash and cedarwood, with a very tasty palate, savory, almost salty. It's evolving at a very slow pace. It should last forever... 103,216 bottles, 3,121 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2019.