Marqués de Murrieta 1980 Reserva

Wine: Marqués de Murrieta 1980 Reserva

Winery: Marqués de Murrieta (Logroño, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 60% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo
ABV: 13%
Winemaking

The wine spent 12 months in glass-lined concrete and stainless steel tanks to complete fermentation and stabilize before racking. It was matured for 36 months in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels. The wine underwent membrane filtration prior to bottling. A minimum of 24 months of bottle aging was completed in the winery’s cellars prior to release.

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Very pale reddish-ruby with medium-low depth; pristine and bright. It shows copper and orange highlights with a broad, fully tawny (tile-red) rim.

 

Nose: Good intensity, though simple and lacking complexity; filled with lactic and smoky notes. An overwhelming presence of creamy oak signals the direction here: vanilla, nutmeg, and fine toasted nuances. There is an off-dry (abocado) sensation and a background of raisins—a certain overripeness that we had not previously encountered in a Murrieta.

 

Palate: It improves on the palate. Smooth, full-bodied and well-settled, with an immense amount of creamy and toasted notes (fine wood) balanced by a compelling acidity that makes it less fatiguing. It is a "crowd-pleaser" with pretensions—the kind of wine that always shows well and is liked in a tasting, yet it lacks depth or anything truly noteworthy. This is a Marqués de Murrieta more "tuned up" than Vin Diesel's car in The Fast and the Furious. While technically correct, it is unrecognizable; it bears no resemblance to the legendary Reservas that this great winery produced for decades. It sits several steps below the Etiqueta Blanca from the same vintage.

 

Personal Score: 87
Tasting Group Score: 88