Marqués de Murrieta Etiqueta Blanca 1977

Wine: Marqués de Murrieta Etiqueta Blanca 1977

Winery: 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 large, seasoned oak vats to complete malolactic fermentation and settle before being racked for aging. It was matured for 24 months in used 225-liter American oak barrels. The wine underwent membrane filtration prior to bottling. A minimum of 18 months of bottle aging was carried out in the winery’s underground cellars before its commercial release. 

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Bright, clean reddish-ruby with medium-high depth (capa); it shows no excessive signs of evolution. It features a medium-width copper rim.

 

Nose: Medium intensity—somewhat diluted and imprecise upon opening. It clearly requires aeration to gain expressiveness. Gradually, it reveals soft notes of sour cherries, withered flowers, pink peppercorn, tea leaves, and toasted cocoa, with a background hint of roasted coffee that flickers in and out.

 

Palate: Lively on the palate, driven by a good citrus-edged acidity and more than acceptable bitter nuances—almost wild (salvia/sage). Fresh and light-bodied with a balsamic trail. It is an enjoyable drinker. This is the first Riojan wine from the 1977 vintage that has reached us with signs of life and that we have successfully "revived in the ER." While by no means the best Etiqueta Blanca we have tasted, it must be said in its favor that it maintains the joyful and carefree spirit of Murrieta’s great Crianza despite the inherent challenges of the harvest. We wouldn't have bet on it, yet it ultimately won us over.

 

Personal Score: 88
Tasting Group Score: 89

 Etiqueta del Marqués de Murrieta Carta Blanca (Alambrado) de 1920.