Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2020: Resilience in a Bottle

Summary      
Wine:     2020 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva
Region:  Rioja, Spain (Ygay Estate, Rioja Alta, 320 m/1050 ft to 485 m/1600 ft above sea level)
Grape:   82% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo, 3% Garnacha
Style:     Dry red
Alcohol: 14.0%
Producer: Marqués de Murrieta

Deep purple in the glass, this elegantly structured Rioja opens with aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry and fig, layered with accents of clove and nutmeg. A long finish with subtle hints of pepper. Bright acidity keeps the fruit in balance and allows deeper notes of forest floor and leather to gradually emerge.

This is a wine meant to be enjoyed with food. Manchego cheese, jamón ham, yuzu jam and a baguette accentuated the wine’s rounded texture and mouthfeel.

This Rioja Reserva is aged 21 months in new and partially new American oak barrels (225 L) followed by an additional year and a half of bottle ageing.

Marqués de Murrieta points out that this vintage, 2020, was “marked by the resilience, commitment and good work of our great team in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A heroic harvest together with an arduous and exhaustive work in the winery gave us a greater precision of aromas and textures in this historic Marqués de Murrieta 2020.”

Indeed, this wine stands as a testament to Rioja’s enduring traditions and the journey out of the dark days of COVID-19.