Marqués de Riscal 1982 Gran Reserva

Wine: Marqués de Riscal 1982 Gran Reserva

Winery: Marqués de Murrieta (Logroño, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and Mazuelo
ABV: 12%
Winemaking

Contains a negligible percentage of white varietals—primarily Viura—from vines historically planted at the ends of rows for family consumption, which were also harvested for the winery. Aged in seasoned American oak barrels (225 liters) for 36 to 42 months. Continuous rackings (trasiegos) every three months during the first three years to avoid filtration prior to bottling. Traditional fining with fresh egg whites. Hand-bottled directly from the barrel. 

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Very pale, clear brownish-ruby with medium-low depth; pristine. It shows bright reddish and orange highlights. The rim is copper-toned, showing almost no distinction from the meniscus.

 

Nose: A disconcerting wine—disjointed and elusive. Upon opening, it feels somewhat fragmented, oscillating between notes of wine-soaked oak and reduction (aged leather, wet fur, animalistic hints) to licorice root and vanilla, before pivoting abruptly toward red fruit in liqueur, withered flowers, and creamy toasted nuances. It required a couple of hours in the bottle to fully unfurl. Once open, it reveals a classic Riscal profile: refined, perfumed, and fragrant, offering abundant notes of aromatic coffee, cedar, cocoa butter, orange zest biscuits, and English tobacco. It continuously gains presence with aeration, becoming increasingly intense and concentrated. After two more hours, it eventually clouds over beneath a mantle of spices and smokiness that envelops everything. Intriguing.

 

Palate: Mature, round, and expansive; generous in almost every aspect, including alcohol. This is a recognizable vintage—forceful and concentrated—driven by a striking acidity within a well-structured frame free of notable defects. It is satisfying to drink, though one should not demand more than it can offer. It exposes the shortcomings of Riscal during the 1980s: a clear lack of definition, neither moving forward nor standing its ground. More could have been extracted from this vintage.

 

Personal Score: 90
Tasting Group Score: 90

 Etiqueta del Marqués de Riscal 1979 Crianza.