2011 Dalmau Reserva, Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta

2011 Dalmau Reserva, Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta

Product: 20118136314
 
2011 Dalmau Reserva, Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta

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Description

From a low yielding eponymous single vineyard, Dalmau shows the more modern face of this Janus-like property. A blend of 79% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Graciano, the 2011 has been aged in new French oak for 19 months. Unassuming it is not…….the colour is almost black and the aromas are appropriately autumnal…tar, sousbois and fruits from the darker end of the spectrum. The palate, you will be relieved to hear, has fine balancing  acidity, and plenty of energy behind the power.. think Carlos Acosta, or Jonah Lomu in his pomp, if you prefer. Martyn Rolph, Private Account Manager Same as they didn't do Dalmau in 2008 they didn't bottle it in the 2010 vintage, and the next one will be the 2011 Dalmau Reserva, which will be released in March-April 2015. Dalmau is the most "international" of all their wines, but is a wine from Ygay because the Cabernet they have in their vineyards is now 56 years old and is part of the estate and you also feel more the smoky notes and the earthy, peat-like minerality. The maximum amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (or other experimental varieties, generically referred to as "Others," any varieties that were planted before 1956) is 15% and it also contains 6% Graciano, the rest being, of course Tempranillo. The varieties are fermented and aged in barrel separately, then assembled and matured in cement vats for a good 8-9 months. This 2011 is considered internally a perfect vintage for Ygay and has a very Atlantic, Bordeaux-like nose that is serious and concentrated. This is a cuvée that used to be quite oaky, but this has changed radically and the earthy personality is much stronger, and the oak is perfectly integrated, and even if it's extremely young is perfectly drinkable and showing classical aromas of cigar box, cedar wood and lead pencil. The texture is creamy and even if the tannins are velvety and the acidity is fine, just the complexity you will gain with

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Wine Advocate94/100
From a low yielding eponymous single vineyard, Dalmau shows the more modern face of this Janus-like property. A blend of 79% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Graciano, the 2011 has been aged in new French oak for 19 months. Unassuming it is not…….the colour is almost black and the aromas are appropriately autumnal…tar, sousbois and fruits from the darker end of the spectrum. The palate, you will be relieved to hear, has fine balancing  acidity, and plenty of energy behind the power.. think Carlos Acosta, or Jonah Lomu in his pomp, if you prefer. Martyn Rolph, Private Account Manager Same as they didn't do Dalmau in 2008 they didn't bottle it in the 2010 vintage, and the next one will be the 2011 Dalmau Reserva, which will be released in March-April 2015. Dalmau is the most "international" of all their wines, but is a wine from Ygay because the Cabernet they have in their vineyards is now 56 years old and is part of the estate and you also feel more the smoky notes and the earthy, peat-like minerality. The maximum amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (or other experimental varieties, generically referred to as "Others," any varieties that were planted before 1956) is 15% and it also contains 6% Graciano, the rest being, of course Tempranillo. The varieties are fermented and aged in barrel separately, then assembled and matured in cement vats for a good 8-9 months. This 2011 is considered internally a perfect vintage for Ygay and has a very Atlantic, Bordeaux-like nose that is serious and concentrated. This is a cuvée that used to be quite oaky, but this has changed radically and the earthy personality is much stronger, and the oak is perfectly integrated, and even if it's extremely young is perfectly drinkable and showing classical aromas of cigar box, cedar wood and lead pencil. The texture is creamy and even if the tannins are velvety and the acidity is fine, just the complexity you will gain with Read more

About this WINE

Marques de Murrieta

Marques de Murrieta

Marqués de Murrieta was one of two pioneers in the production of Rioja wines, this bodega was established in 1852 and is proudly old-fashioned in its approach. All the grapes are sourced from the bodega's own vineyards at Ygay near Logroño, which were recently extended to 300ha. Traditional grape varities are grown Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, Garnacha Blanca and Viura, many of which have now disappeared from the region.

The wines of Murrieta wines are produced by traditional methods, ageing their wines in wood for a minimum of two years (much longer than at any other Bodegas) and there are 14,000 casks for that purpose. The bodegas produces a small range of wines that include the Marqués de Murrieta, the glorious and very rare Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (aged in excess of 36 months in American oak) and since 1995, a premium super-cuvée, Dalmau. The latter stands out for the inclusion of 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, alongside the 85% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano, but also for the use of small French barriques, in which the wine is aged for a period of typically 19 months.

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Rioja

Rioja

Rioja is known primarily for its reds although it also makes white wines from the Viura and Malvasia grapes and rosés mainly from Garnacha. Most wineries (bodegas) have their own distinct red wine formula, but are normally a combination of Tempranillo, Garnacha and sometimes Graciano. Other red varieties recently approved into the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) regulations are the little-known Maturana Tinta, Maturana Parda, and Monastel (not to be confused with Monastrell). The most important of these by far is the king of native Spanish varieties, Tempranillo, which imbues the wines with complex and concentrated fruit flavours.

The Garnacha, meanwhile, bestows its wines with warm, ripe fruit and adds an alcohol punch. Graciano is an améliorateur grape (one that is added, often in small proportions, to add a little something to the final blend) and is found mainly in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, albeit in small quantities (two to five percent), adding freshness and aroma, and enhancing the wines' ageing potential.

Crianza wines are aged for one year in oak followed by maturation for one year in bottle before being released for sale. Reservas must undergo a minimum of three years’ ageing before release, at least one of which should be in oak casks. Finally, Gran Reservas, which are only produced in the finest vintages, must spend at least five years maturing, of which at least two must be in oak.

Geographically, Rioja is divided in to three districts: Alavesa, Alta and Baja. Rioja Alavesa lies in the northwest of the La Rioja region in the Basque province of Álava. Along with Rioja Alta, it is the heartland of the Tempranillo grape. Rioja Alta, to the north-west and south of the Ebro River in the province of La Rioja, stretches as far as the city of Logroño. Elegance and poise is the hallmark of wines made here with Rioja Alta Tempranillo. Mazuelo (Carignan) is occasionally added to wines from this area to provide tannins and colour. Rioja Baja, located to the south-east, is the hottest of the three districts and specialises in Garnacha.

Rioja has witnessed a broad stylistic evolution over the years. The classic Riojas pioneered by Murrieta and Riscal in the 19thcentury were distinguished by long oak-barrel-ageing whereas the modern style, represented by Marqués de Cáceres since 1970, showcases the fruit and freshness of Tempranillo, keeping oak ageing to the legal minimum. The post-modern school that emerged in the late 1990s from producers like Palacios Remondo and Finca Allende concentrate on making wines from old vines or specific vineyard plots to accentuate the terroir, and using larger proportions of minority varietals such as Graciano.

The alta expression wines, pioneered by Finca Allende (among others) and later taken up by almost every other producer in Rioja, represent the newest flagship category in Rioja. Alongside the traditional Gran Reservas, alta expression wines are limited production and come from low-yielding vines, often from a single vineyard, and are hand-picked. Excellent examples of this style are Artadi's Pagos Viejos and El Pison.

However, modernisation has not held back the continuation of successful traditional styles as well. Happily long-established houses such La Rioja Alta, CVNE and Marques de Vargas continue to make graceful, old style wines better than ever before.

White Rioja is typically produced by the Viura grape which must comprise at least 51 percent of the blend; the rest can be made up by other, recently-authorised varieties, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdejo, as well as the native Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, and Turruntés (not to be mistaken for Torrontés).

Recommended Producers:
Finca Allende, Amezola de la Mora, Artadi, CVNE, Marqués de Vargas, Palacios Remondo, La Rioja Alta, Murrieta.

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Other Varieties

Other Varieties

There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.

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