Marqués de Murrieta
Rioja since 1852 • Finca Ygay • Castillo Ygay
"The origin of Rioja wines: a family winery that joins the history of the Castillo de Ygay with the viticulture of its own vineyard."
Quick Answer
Marqués de Murrieta is the winery founded in 1852 by Luciano Murrieta, who made the first Rioja wine using Bordeaux techniques. Its wines are born at Finca Ygay (300 hectares, Rioja Alta). At La Cava Shop you will find Castillo Ygay, Dalmau and Capellanía, with free shipping from $1,499 MXN.
- Winery: Marqués de Murrieta, D.O.Ca. Rioja, founded in 1852
- Estate: Finca Ygay, 300 hectares, south of Rioja Alta
- Ownership: Cebrián-Sagarriga family since 1983
- In the collection: 4 wines (2 reds and 2 whites)
- Shipping and returns: free from $1,499 MXN; 90 days at no cost
The Origin of Rioja
In 1852, Don Luciano Murrieta applied the techniques he learned in Bordeaux to make the first Rioja wine, with the intention that it would last over time. He believed that a wine of that quality and with good aging could be exported, and he sent that 1852 vintage to countries such as Mexico and Cuba: it is the first Rioja ever exported. Since 1983 the winery has been run by the Cebrián-Sagarriga family, with Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, at the helm. Its seat is the Castillo de Ygay, a 19th-century building declared a museum in 2019, next to a new winery opened in 2021.
Buy Marqués de Murrieta wines at La Cava Shop, with storage in climate-controlled cellars and free shipping from $1,499 MXN across Mexico. Also explore Rioja wines and Spanish red wines.
Finca Ygay: A 300-Hectare Estate Vineyard
Murrieta's wines are born at Finca Ygay, which surrounds the winery in the south of Rioja Alta. Each wine comes from a specific pago: La Plana (40 hectares, planted in 1950, at 485 meters of altitude) gives the red Castillo Ygay; Pago Canajas (9 hectares, at 465 meters, with clay-iron soil and many rounded stones) gives Dalmau; and Pago Capellanía (6 hectares, planted in 1945, at 485 meters, on clay-limestone soil) gives Capellanía and Castillo Ygay Blanco. All are hand-harvested and vinified by variety.
The Wines in the Collection
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2012
The house icon, made only in exceptional vintages. 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo, from La Plana. The Tempranillo spends 34 months in American oak barrels and the Mazuelo 34 months in French oak, and then the blend rests 20 months in concrete. 14% vol. Serve at 16 °C.
Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial 1986
A collector's white: 97% Viura and 3% Malvasía, with more than 20 years in American oak barrels and almost 6 years in a concrete tank before being bottled in January 2014. Only 8,125 bottles. It was the first dry white in Spain to reach 100 Parker points. 13.5% vol. Serve at 14 °C and oxygenate for 30 minutes.
Dalmau Reserva 2020
The house's most contemporary and expressive wine, from Pago Canajas. 82% Tempranillo, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Graciano; 17 months in Allier French oak and 13 months in concrete. 14.5% vol. Limited production: 14,962 bottles of 75 cl. Serve at 16 °C.
Capellanía
A white with the soul of a red: 100% Viura from Pago Capellanía, from vines more than 70 years old, aged in French oak barrels and rested in concrete. A very food-friendly white for seafood, fish and poultry. Serve at about 13 °C.
Pairing
Reds (Castillo Ygay and Dalmau): lamb and game roasts, grilled red meats, Iberian ham, aged cheeses and also Mexican cuisine, such as black mole.
Whites (Capellanía and Castillo Ygay Blanco): seafood, fish, poultry, truffle risotto and aged cheeses. More in the Viura wines and the Spanish white wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Marqués de Murrieta?
It is a historic Rioja winery founded in 1852 by Luciano Murrieta, who applied techniques learned in Bordeaux to make the first Rioja wine. Its wines are born at Finca Ygay, a 300-hectare vineyard in the south of Rioja Alta that surrounds the winery.
Why does Marqués de Murrieta have a connection with Mexico?
Luciano Murrieta sent the 1852 vintage to Mexico and Cuba, and it is considered the first Rioja ever exported.
Which Marqués de Murrieta wines are at La Cava Shop?
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2012 (red), Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial 1986, Dalmau Reserva 2020 (red) and Capellanía (Viura white).
What is Castillo Ygay?
It is the winery's icon wine. It is made only in vintages considered exceptional. The 2012 red comes from La Plana, a 40-hectare pago planted in 1950 at 485 meters of altitude, and blends 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo.
How does Dalmau differ from Castillo Ygay?
Dalmau is the house's most contemporary and expressive wine: it comes from Pago Canajas (9 hectares, 465 meters), with 82% Tempranillo, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Graciano, and 17 months in French oak. Castillo Ygay is a Gran Reserva from exceptional vintages, with a much longer aging.
At what temperature should they be served?
The reds at 16 °C. Capellanía at about 13 °C and Castillo Ygay Blanco at 14 °C, oxygenating it for at least 30 minutes before drinking.
Where can I buy Marqués de Murrieta in Mexico?
At La Cava Shop, with storage in climate-controlled cellars, free shipping from $1,499 MXN across Mexico and 90 days for free returns.
Collector's Rioja • Free Shipping from $1,499 MXN
See Dalmau Reserva 2020