Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2012

Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial comes from Marqués de Murrieta, one of the founding houses of modern Rioja, and is released only in vintages judged worthy of the name. The 2012 is built on Tempranillo with a small proportion of Mazuelo. Rioja Alta sits at altitude in the Ebro valley, where the clay and limestone soils and the cool nights give wines that combine ripeness with freshness and the capacity to age for decades. The wine spends twenty four months in American oak barrels followed by thirty six months in bottle before release. American oak lends a sweeter, more open spice and a coconut and vanilla edge, while the long, slow oxygen exchange of barrel and bottle resolves the tannins and develops the tertiary character that defines an aged Gran Reserva. The colour is a deep, evolving ruby with garnet at the rim. The nose shows dark cherry and ripe plum with tea leaf, cedar and Mediterranean herbs. The palate is full but fine, the tannins silky, the acidity holding the long savoury finish. Serve at 17 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb and game.