Marqués de Murrieta 1910 Blanco Reserva

Wine: Marqués de Murrieta 1910 Blanco Reserva
Winery: Marqués de Murrieta (Logroño, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: Viura, Malvasía, and others
ABV: N/A

Winemaking:
Grapes sourced from the "Pago la Plana," the highest point of the Ygay Estate. Following manual harvest and selection, all varietals were vinified together. After initial settling, fermentation took place in large-capacity foudres and concrete tanks. The wine was stabilized for 18 to 24 months in founding-era oak vats (6,000–7,000 liters) before maturing in wood for a minimum of 30 years. Aging occurred primarily in neutral 225-liter American oak barrels (minimum 40 years old) and various larger wooden vessels. Periodic manual barrel-to-barrel rackings were performed. Initially bottled directly from the cask upon order, the entire vintage eventually spent a minimum of 5 years in the winery’s cellars before release. 70 cl bottle. Recorked in the mid-1960s.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Sourced directly from the winery in 1969. Old gold to amber in color; dark and matte with muted brilliance. Displays copper and orange reflections. While generally clean, it shows a curious sediment resembling lead-like pellets (likely bitartrates) at the base. The entire glass of the bottle is sedimented.

 

Nose: Upon opening, it triggers a profound reductive alarm: intensely medicinal with notes of yeast, penicillin, fermented cheese, sweat, and esparto grass. It requires massive aeration to shed these "cobwebs." It undergoes a descending scale of funk—from mold and rust to saline iodine—before settling into a plateau of rancio and Amontillado notes for nearly two hours. Its "mutant" capacity is peerless; it eventually reveals a core of toasted sugar, honey, praline, marzipan, roasted yolk, and toffee. This is joined by a wild register of rockrose, resin, and Mediterranean scrubland (marjoram, rock tea, fenugreek). Sweet citric notes (lemon candy, lemongrass), quince paste, and candied orange emerge over a distinct backdrop of truffle and butane gas.

 

Palate: Unpalatable until at least two hours of aeration have passed. The sweetness suggested by the nose is nowhere to be found on the palate. It is bone-dry, viscous, and concentrated, with fine botanical bitters and rancio notes that leave a profound saline sensation. It sears the mouth with a blast of acidity, exotic spices, ancient wood, and eucalyptus honey. The retronasal is indescribable, clinging to the palate like syrup. A wild, untamed wine even after a century of waiting.

 

Commentary:
Words and descriptors fail to unravel this Riojan transmutation. Murrieta turned wine into gold; this is pure alchemy. A once-in-a-lifetime experience that redefines the limits of white wine longevity.

 

Personal Score: 100
Tasting Group Average: 100