Marques de Murrieta is a big name, both inside and outside Spain. For quite a few Spain fans it has long been a name with mythical dimensions, for Rioja lovers it is the promise of pure cult. It is also one of the oldest and most influential wineries in the Rioja region, which is certainly not lacking in history. The bodega was actually founded by Luciano Francisco Ramón de Murrieta in 1878, but he was already producing wine in the mid-19th century after his four-year training in Bordeaux. And he was the first to ship wine out into the world, thus establishing the reputation of Rioja wines. However, not all the barrels arrived. Quite a few sank in the waters off Cuba on their way to the island and to Mexico. He was also one of the first producers in the region to bottle wine rather than sell it in barrels or export it. This and other innovations earned him the name "Marquesado de Murrieta". After an eventful history in the 20th century, the businessman Vicente Cebrián Sagarriga, Count of Creixell from Madrid, fell in love with the estate and its important Ygay and Dalmau vineyards, and gave the winery another huge qualitative boost after the acquisition. After his death in 1996, his two children continued to develop the business in his spirit, especially since they managed to pull off an ingenious coup by hiring the outstanding oenologist Maria Vargas. Today, the winery is a sight to behold. The must and wine are only moved with the help of gravity, and the grapes are still pressed using an old, traditional basket press. Murrieta's wines are among the best the region has to offer, and many consider the winery to be the best in Spain. From the Crianza to the Gran Reserva, these wines offer outstanding quality, and the "Capellania" is one of the best white barrique wines in Spain. And then there is the legendary "Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial", which renowned British wine critic and journalist Hugh Johnson describes as the "Chateau Mouton-Rothschild of Spain". A unique wine that is only produced in excellent years and whose ageing and storage ageing potential can be guessed from the fact that the Wine Advocate only awarded the 1904 vintage 100 out of 100 points in 2022. The white "Ygay" also scratches this magical boundary, if it doesn't crack it. Both Gran Reservas are characterised by the fact that they only unfold their true certain ageing potential under air and actually move back towards their youth under the influence of oxygen.
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