Expressive yet a bit heavy-handed, this lively red marries bright cherry and cranberry flavors with toasty oak and firm tannins in a style that aims more for power than elegance. Has the stuffing to age. Best after 2000.
Robert Parker: 86 points(01/04/1998)
This traditionally run Bodegas estate bottles all of its wines. The 1991 Reserva Especial is an austere, more evolved wine with a medium ruby/garnet color, and earthy, tobacco, berry, and cherry aromas. In the mouth, there is good ripeness on the attack and medium body, as well as dry tannin and austerity in the finish. This good to very good effort is overwhelmed by the 1994 Reserva, and the 1989 Castillo y Gay Grand Reserva Especial. Murrieta's Reservas and Reserva Specials are essentially all the same blends that spend differing amounts of time in wood. The Reservas tend to spend 2 1/2 years in 15-year old American oak barrels, and the Reserva Speciales 3 1/2 years in old American wood, followed by an additional 3 years of bottle age.
Pairing: Beef, Game Animals, Grilled Red Meats, Roasts, Stews.
Marqués de Murrieta, with more than 150 years of history, has succeeded in adapting to modern times. The secret is to maintain the winery´s identity whilst renewing it. Its perfect balance between tradition and modernity is supported by its long history and constant investment in... technology, and additionaly the know-how of its young team. The exclusive wines produced by Pazo de Barrantes are the result of their own character, the philosophy with which they are elaborated and the limited number of bottles produced each year. Their wines are: Marqués de Murrieta (Red Reserva), Capellanía (White Reserva), Castillo Ygay (Red Gran Reserva), Dalmau (Red Reserva).
Alcohol abuse can be dangerous.
