What are the best Spanish red wines to try?
- Marques De Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
- Marques De Murrieta Gran Reserva 2015
Overview
- Spanish wine culture thrives on tradition and excellence, with a rich history of winemaking.
- Marques De Murrieta is a renowned winery in Spain, known for its prestigious wines and commitment to quality.
Spain takes wine-making seriously, boasting numerous wine classifications to suit every taste. With the right wine shops, you can discover Spanish red wines to try.
Like their Italian neighbors, Spaniards cherish togetherness over good food, friends, and exceptional wine. The Spanish tradition of 'sobremesa,' or lingering around the table after a meal, often with coffee or liquor, contributes to the country's reputation for producing outstanding wines.
Marques De Murrieta stands out as one of Spain's best wineries, with a rich history dating back to Rioja's origins. Today, the Cebrián-Sagarriga family leads production, maintaining the winery's tradition and excellence.
At Flamingo Wine & Spirits, the products of this prestigious winery are available to you. Taste the two best red wines Spain can offer and many more at our Pasay Wine Shop located at:
Ground Level, MET Live,
EDSA Extension, corner Diosdado Macapagal Blvd
Pasay, 1226 Metro Manila
Marques De Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
With the blend of tempranillo and mazuelo grape varieties, this Castillo Ygay is rich with intense flavors. It upholds the excellence in tradition, showing savory layers through the nose with elegant spices and bright acidity.
It has aromas of crushed berries such as ripe black cherries and blueberries. It also has the marvelous fragrance of vanilla, tobacco, cedar, and other Mediterranean herbs. It has a long beautiful finish that lingers with silky tannins and its full nuanced flavors.
Marques De Murrieta Gran Reserva 2015
The Gran Reserva is a deep red color with purple details. It is a blend of the tempranillo, graciano, mazuelo, and garnacha grape varieties.
On the nose, it shows the delicate fragrance of spaces, ripe blackberries, cassis, and dried figs over a balsamic base. It also has light earth notes such as cedar, oak, and dried figs. A fresh acidity is introduced with finishing hints of mocha and chocolate.
It is made with the harmony of classic and modern profiles. It is silky, offering a full-bodied and well-balanced palate with a polished tannin structure. It finishes long and elegantly.
A Quick Guide to Spanish Wine
The Aging Label
The aging label or maturity of wine is cardinal knowledge to understand wine. Time is what makes wine full of complex aromas and flavors. This detail is essential in tasting and pairing wines as well as sensing the best drinking window to know when is the best time to enjoy the wine at its peak balance of flavors, aromas, and structure.
- Joven, meaning young, are typical wines that did not spend time in oak.
- Crianza are wine that has aged for two years and has spent at least six months in oak.
- Reserva has promising vintage profiles. They are aged for at least three years with a year in oak.
- Gran Reserva is the best vintage wine. They are aged at a minimum of five years and at least two years in oak.
The DO System
The DO System or enominación de Origen is a control system of wine quality. Often, the DO system is in place and governed by region.
- Vino de Mesa is a basic table wine from uncategorized grape farms.
- Vino de la Tierra, meaning ‘wine of the land’, is mostly from regions that are not under the DO system’s strict rules.
- DO (Denominación de Origen) are wines produced and grown in designated regions with specific quality standards.
- DOCa (Deonominación de Origen Calificada) are wines made of the highest quality with top producers in the country.
Red Wine Varieties
Spain is famous for red wines thanks to the Tempranillo grape, the signature grape of the country, but other red varieties are relied on too such as Bobal and Garnacha.
- Rioja is from the region of La Rioja in the north. Most of the vineyards in this region are DOCa classified, meaning that they abide by the strict standards for high-quality wine.
- Ribera Del Duero is from the Castilla y León region. It is the second-most popular red wine and sports more intensity than Rioja.
- Priorat is known for its full-bodied wines from the region of Catalonia.
- Toro is another place in the region of Castilla y León. Toro wines are very tannic with high alcohol content.
- Ribeira Sacra, meaning ‘sacred shore’, is known for wines made from grapes grown on steep slopes of the river valleys.
Key Takeaways
The Spanish maintain their excellent wine through strict regulations, but it is only so because it is part of their drinking culture. The charm of the sobremesa lifestyle is in understanding wine varieties and classifications. Knowing not only Spanish red wines to try but also the many more wine brands and types is the first step into exploring the best of the best.
Discover the world of fine wine and navigate its nuanced flavors at the Flamingo Wine & Spirits website or our Pasay shop. Visit us today!