1970 Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja

The season supported an abundant and ripe harvest, both for red and white, which resulted in many great wines - and consequently many counterfeits as well. This Ygay gives a spectacular aromatic expression, not unlike that of Domaine de Chevalier of the same age, with beeswax, tea leaves, orange peel, dried flowers and clove. It's fresh and young on the palate, multi-layered but easygoing, deep and joyous. A top wine.

Time in barrel was gradually reduced, and the 1970 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, a very successful vintage, was bottled in July 1982, so "only" 12 years after the harvest. It was a very good vintage both in Rioja and at the Ygay estate, with annual rainfall of 328.9 liters. The wine was produced with a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 11% Mazuelo, 8% Garnacha and 6% Graciano and has 13.2% alcohol, 7.5 grams of acidity and 0.9 grams of volatile acidity. There was a white Castillo Ygay produced from 1970 too. A first bottle was very volatile and felt like it was slightly corked. A second bottle was volatile but clean, a little advanced and soft, with a mellow texture and a tender feeling.

Good medium red. Complex, oaky nose melds plum, cedar, smoke, minerals and nut skin, along with mushroom and earth notes. The strong, pungent cherry and licorice flavors are perked up by a brisk citric edge (grapefruit?). A rather stylish wine with fruit of steel. Finishes with intense flavor and excellent grip. Needs to be served with food, like a grilled steak.

Pale orange. Definitely old and very slightly mousey but quite good acid. Racy – rather like old white burgundy. Beeswax aromas but the acidity now dominates the fruit. Finish is drying out. (JR)