Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2012

Castillo Ygay is one of Rioja’s centuries-old labels, designed based on the silkscreen printing used on the region’s first wines. In fact, it was one of the first wines to be produced in Rioja, when French winemakers, affected by phylloxera, arrived in the area to stock up on supplies. A must-try wine to discover what a classic Rioja adapted to the times is, which has always been well-received by international critics, as demonstrated by the 100 Suckling points obtained in this 2012 harvest.

James Suckling: So many notes of dried flowers, mushrooms, iron, rust, sweet red fruits and grilled orange. Full body, with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of terroir and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse and finish are endless. Production was 30% lower than in 2011. It is already delicious to drink. A wonderful future. This is the new 1934 or 1964, both legends. Drink now or cellar.

Tim Atkin: There will be no Castillo Ygay reds in 2013, 2014 or 2015, so its many fans would do well to stock up now. Produced in a vintage that María Vargas considers exceptional, this wine combines Tempranillo with 19% Mazuelo. Aged in American oak and a smaller amount of French oak, it has attractive aromas of balsam, tobacco leaf and aromatic spice, as well as wonderful structure and depth, layers of blackberry, fig and red berry fruit, and a lingering finish driven by acidity. 2026-2040.

The Wine Advocate: I tasted the 2012 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial again, as the wine was not produced in 2013, 2014, or 2015, and the 2016 vintage will not be released until 2027. The next vintages will be 2017, 2019, and 2021. The 2012 was made with a blend of 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo (Cariñena), sourced from the La Plana plot on the Ygay estate, planted in 1950 at 1,500 feet (485 meters), the highest elevation on the property. The Tempranillo was harvested between September 17 and 19, and the Mazuelo on September 25. The bunches were destemmed and lightly pressed to ferment in stainless steel for 10 days, with frequent pumping over and délestages. The Tempranillo was aged for 34 months in American oak barrels, while the Mazuelo spent the same 34 months in French barrels, then was blended and transferred to concrete tanks for another 20 months. The wine has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.8 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter). It is spicy, with abundant notes of forest floor, truffles, dried leaves, cigar ash and cedar wood, with a very savory, almost saline palate. It is evolving slowly and should last forever... A total of 103,216 bottles were produced, 3,121 magnums and some larger formats. It was bottled in May 2019. (Luis Gutiérrez)