Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only the
one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released the 1978,
bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant for £45 (USD70 -
USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?

--
Steve
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I am only familiar with the murietta ygay. If that wine is this:

Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial rioja Espagne 1978

which I doubt, it is well worth the money, and actually, probably
worth a bit more than twice that money.

I do not know if castello ygay is wholly owned by murietta, but it is
the only one I have ever seen.

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:21:29 -0600, SteveN wrote:

Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only the
one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released the 1978,
bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant for £45 (USD70 -
USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?

gerald wrote in
:

I am only familiar with the murietta ygay. If that wine is this:

Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial rioja Espagne 1978

which I doubt, it is well worth the money, and actually, probably
worth a bit more than twice that money.

Are you serious (and I say that in a positive way)? Yes, it *is* that
wine, "Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial,
Cosecha 1978, bottled 1998. Tasting note says "Drink now - 2050" (yes,
2050!)

So, worth a try at that price?

I do not know if castello ygay is wholly owned by murietta, but it is
the only one I have ever seen.

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:21:29 -0600, SteveN wrote:

Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only
the one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released
the 1978, bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant
for £45 (USD70 - USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?





--
Steve
Remove N from email address to reply

SteveN wrote:
Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only the
one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released the 1978,
bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant for £45 (USD70 -
USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?

Marquis de Murrieta Castillo Ygay has been considered among the very
top Riojas made in a very traditional style. I have not had experience
with recent vintages, but their older ones where hard to top, if you
like a very traditional Rioja that needs long aging. I have had their
1925, and it still was holding very well a very few years ago. They
also made an old style white that often was aged nearly as long as
their better known red. It can be outstanding, but may come as a shock
to those who have tasted only more modern styles of whites.

Worth is a value judgment that you will have to make. Compared to the
prices charged for Vega Sicilia, to say nothing of top Bordeaux or
Burgundy, the price does not seem very extreme. I have not seen a
review yet for Ygay 78, so a Google search might be in order to see if
you can find anything. Some of the more traditional Spanish winemakers
have started to make more "modern" wines, but the long time before
release for the Ygay 78 likely indicates that it was made in fairly
much the old style designed to require long aging.

"SteveN" skrev i melding
.. .
Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only the
one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released the 1978,
bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant for £45
(USD70 -
USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?

--
Don't know about 1978 but the 1970 is available in Sweden. The Gran Reserva
Special costs 600Euro..., for a double magnum, mind you :-), the Gran
Reserva is 400 Euro, also for a double magnum.
Dividing by four should give 150 and 100 Euro respectively, i.e.
Now 1970 was a great vintage and is accordingly expensive today. The 1978
was above average. I'd say, therefore, that 45£ seems to be a fair price.
Btw www.wine-searcher.com lists the Gran Reserva Especial at 66£ in Preston.

The 1970 Gran Reservas I've had (not Castillo) were all great wines in about
1986-89 :-)
hth
Anders

Anders

I found a good review of the 1978 Ygay at
http://www.winedine.co.uk/page.php?cid=732 .

"Anders Tørneskog" wrote in
:


"SteveN" skrev i melding
.. .
Dear All,

Castillo Ygay was one of my favourite Riojas, but I have tasted only
the one vintage (1991? in about 2001). I notice they have released
the 1978, bottled in 1998, which is available from my local merchant
for £45 (USD70 -
USD80)

Basically, is it worth it?

--
Don't know about 1978 but the 1970 is available in Sweden. The Gran
Reserva Special costs 600Euro..., for a double magnum, mind you :-),
the Gran Reserva is 400 Euro, also for a double magnum.
Dividing by four should give 150 and 100 Euro respectively, i.e.
Now 1970 was a great vintage and is accordingly expensive today. The
1978 was above average. I'd say, therefore, that 45£ seems to be a
fair price. Btw www.wine-searcher.com lists the Gran Reserva Especial
at 66£ in Preston.

The Preston shop is everywine.co.uk (a branch of Morrisons, IIRC), which
are fairly comprehensive, it would seem, but also 20% or so (in my rough
opinion) overpriced. And it would seem the £66 excludes VAT (sales tax)
at 17.5%.

However, it does give a good indication of the retail price, thanks.

--
Steve
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"Anders Tørneskog" wrote in
:


"Anders Tørneskog" skrev i melding
...
I hasten to add that the 1978 GR Especial is selling in Norway for
about 50£ and received top reviews. Should be suitable for lighter
preparations of lamb, veal or pork. Bouquet of dried fruits, wood and
tobacco. Taste matches bouquet closely, elegant and long. Matured in
american oak barrels for 20 years, bottled in 2002 (doesn't add up?)

Certainly doesn't. However, someone I used to work for (in a wine
merchant's) was given a holiday to the winery (some time ago) who said
that as he was walking round, his host opened a concrete slab in the
floor, under which was sloshing a whole load of wine, which he was told
was Castillo Ygay (I have no idea which vintage).

*Possible* that after the oak it was placed in (lined?) concrete vats?
Otherwise, as any fule knowe, 1978 + 20 =1998.

and then stored for 9 months in the producers cellars.

Seems either too long (not worth mentioning), or too short (needs more
time to rest) to my uneducated timescale.

--
Steve
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