Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial 1986
£1,005.92 (Inc. VAT bot. 75 cl.) / North Ireland
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I have been terribly excited about this wine since I first learned that (part of) it was still in cement waiting to be bottled in September 2013. I consider the rare white Castillo Ygay one of the greatest white wines ever produced in Spain, and the 1986 Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial is a great addition to the portfolio of the winery--an historic wine that is coming back to life. I did a vertical tasting of many of the old, historic vintages of this wine, and they are included in a separate article in this very same issue. This 1986 had seen the light as a limited early release bottled in 1992 and sold around 1995, and some bottles might still be found in the market. But most of it remained unbottled and was kept at the winery, where it stayed in oak for 21 years, followed by some six years in cement vats until it was bottled. It has 13.5% alcohol, an extremely low pH of 2.98 and 6.75 grams of acidity (tartaric). It has a very subtle nose and it's a bit shy, a little closed at first. It was only bottled one and a half years ago, and it's not crazy to say that the wine is showing extremely young. The wine shows more open the day after, when it has developed some nuances of mushrooms and verbena tea. This is mostly Viura with perhaps a pinch of Malvasía Riojana (aka Alarije). The palate is both powerful and elegant, with superb acidity and great length, with volume and sharpness, with a mineral, umami-driven finish. It fills your mouth, tickles your taste buds and makes you salivate. There is nothing negative about the wine; there is no excess oak, nothing blurry, nothing to improve... perhaps the bottle used! I think this is a perfect wine. It seems to be getting younger and younger with time in the glass; it seems to be getting more focused and sharper, and I have no doubt the wine will evolve and last for a very, very, very long time in bottle. I kept the opened bottle for almost one week and the wine didn't move one inch--no oxidation or any signs of fatigue. Having tasted many other vintages, including the also perfect 1919 (which is still going strong at age 97), I have no doubt we're talking about a white for the next 50 years. Looking at the older vintages, I might even be underestimating its life span. The potential next release could be the 1998 in no less than ten years' time.
Features
Type of wine
Pairings
Style
Occasions
Winery
Size
Appellation
Alcohol
13.5%
Description
The history of Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial is, above all, an act of faith. At a time when whites were drunk young, Marqués de Murrieta decided to go for extreme longevity: to make a white wine capable of ageing with the grandeur of a great Rioja red. The wine is born in the historic Ygay estate, in La Rioja Alta, on clay-limestone soils with loose stones and old vines of Viura (97%) and Malvasía (3%), grown at altitudes between 320 and 485 metres. The combination of continental climate with Atlantic influence and the austere character of the terrain give rise to a wine that is pure tension, depth and elegance. Murrieta's philosophy - to respect the land, to look to the past with a vision of the future - is summed up in this timeless white, which waits decades before it sees the light of day.
Winemaking
After manual harvesting and meticulous selection, the grapes are gently pressed in a vertical wooden press. The must ferments in large American oak vats. Then begins an ageing process that defies any commercial logic: Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial spends 21 years in 225-litre American oak barrels, followed by 67 months in concrete tanks, where the wine settles, breathes and refines. It is a wine that is not in a hurry, and whose complexity is only achieved with time.
Taste
On the nose, Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial displays delicate and evocative layers: candied lemon, red apple peel, quince, lime blossom, chamomile and an unmistakable note of walnut in brine. In the background, toasted brioche, honey and sultana bread add warmth. The palate is taut, vibrant and enveloping. The acidity structures and lightens, while the saline and spicy notes add depth. The finish is long, with echoes of wax, subtle vanilla and dried fruits.
Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial: a majestic white, without concessions to fashion, that speaks of patience, earth and wisdom. A wine with a long memory, made for those who know how to listen.
Shipping to North Ireland
50% discount on orders over £351.64Estimated transit time: 4-5 working days.
| Bottles | Price | Over £351.64 |
|---|---|---|
| 1-6 | £11.34 | £5.67 (-£5.67) |
| 7-12 | £15.38 | £7.69 (-£7.69) |
| 13-18 | £21.54 | £10.77 (-£10.77) |
| 19-24 | £29.45 | £14.72 (-£14.72) |
| 25-30 | £34.20 | £17.10 (-£17.10) |
| 31-36 | £38.24 | £19.12 (-£19.12) |
| 37-42 | £46.15 | £23.08 (-£23.08) |
| 43-48 | £50.55 | £25.27 (-£25.27) |
| 49-54 | £57.10 | £28.55 (-£28.55) |
| 55-60 | £61.36 | £30.68 (-£30.68) |
| VAT included | ||
