Marqués de Murrieta Etiqueta Blanca 1973

Wine: Marqués de Murrieta Etiqueta Blanca 1973

Winery: Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta (Logroño, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 50% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo.
ABV: [Not specified]

Winemaking
The wine spent 12 months in vats to complete malolactic fermentation and stabilize before wood aging. It was subsequently matured for 24 months in seasoned 225-liter American oak barriques. Membrane-filtered prior to bottling. It underwent a minimum of 18 months of bottle aging in the winery’s subterranean cellars (calados) before its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Remarkably stable color; garnet-ruby of medium-high depth. It remains vivid, brilliant, and clean, showing reddish and orange glints. The rim is minimal and copper-toned, merging almost indistinguishably with the meniscus.

 

Nose: Liqueur-like profile with virtually no signs of bottle reduction. It is dominated by sloe berries, candied red fruit, bitter orange marmalade, and cherries. This fruit core is layered over a background of seasoned wood, dried flowers, and sweet spices (clove, cinnamon). As it breathes, toasted nuances emerge alongside notes reminiscent of cocoa butter and cappuccino.

 

Palate: Concentrated, savory, and full-bodied. It delivers an abundance of ripe fruit with a clear Garnacha influence—confections and creamy textures. The tannins are "fatty" and fully resolved, integrated into a fine touch of sweetness that is perfectly countered by high-quality bitter notes and cocoa powder. Rounded, enveloping, and exceptionally mature. It shows great length with a persistent finish of fruit jam and sweet spices. A stellar example of the now-extinct Etiqueta Blanca line.

 

Personal Score: 91
Tasting Group Score: 91

Etiqueta especial para conmemorar el primer centenario de la bodega (1852-1952) para el Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva. Comercializado en 1989.