Marqués de Murrieta 1982 Reserva

Wine: Marqués de Murrieta 1982 Reserva
Winery: Marqués de Murrieta (Logroño, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 60% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo.
ABV: 13% vol.

Winemaking

The wine remained for 12 months in glass-lined concrete and stainless steel tanks to complete fermentation and stabilize before racking. It matured for 36 months in used 225-liter American oak barrels. Membrane-filtered prior to bottling. A minimum of 24 months of bottle aging followed in the winery’s cellars prior to its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Reddish-ruby color with medium depth; slightly grainy with a fine sediment. It displays pomegranate and orange reflections. The rim is wide and tawny/brick-colored.

 

Nose: Initial reductive notes of lacquer and "sacristy" quickly dissipate. What follows is an elegant red with a leading presence of sweet spices, vanilla, creamy oak nuances, chocolate liqueur, cocoa butter, and aromatic coffee. It is impressive and well-resolved, though perhaps somewhat excessive in its heavy oak influence, which failed to gain further complexity during nearly two hours of aeration.

 

Palate: This is where the wine truly shines. Brimming with energy and vigor, it is acidulous and carries a trail of spicy, very fresh red fruit without restraint. Of overflowing, vibrant, and piercing youth—spicy and devastating. It still requires significant bottle age to round out its edges.

 

Commentary

The 1982 Reserva is a Murrieta of a "new breed," marking a clear divide between the past and the present. It is far from a transitional wine; while it maintains the presence of a great red, there are unmistakable signs that a glorious era had come to an end. The wine benefits from the characteristic impetus of the 1982 vintage, effortlessly soaring above the lack of substance and depth that would plague subsequent harvests. A powerful, albeit different, chapter in the estate's history.

 

Personal Score: 90
Tasting Group Average: 90