Marqués de Murrieta 2020

The 2020 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Here, Tempranillo is the backbone, making up 82% of the blend in the low-yielding vintage of 2019, complemented with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha. It has controlled ripeness at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.65 and 5.1 grams of acidity. I loved the aromatics here—floral and elegant, more in the style of the 2018 than the 2019. it's lighter, more elegant, fine-boned and has a silky texture and very fine tannins. Both 2019 and 2020 are very good, but 2020 is more my style. 980,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 21 months in American oak barrels.

This won't be ready to drink for some time, but it's well worth buying some now to tuck away for a few years. Sourced from the entire estate, it's a cuvée of Tempranillo with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha Tinta, that has appealing American oak sweetness and spices, a ripe, dense, textured palate of blackberry and mulberry fruit and plenty of balancing acidity. 2025-35

Harmonious, textbook Rioja that shows cedar, spiced strawberries, vanilla and plums. Really polished on the palate, with fresh acidity and a linear, lengthy finish. Very subtle extraction makes this a really balanced, harmonious Rioja that’s appealing now. But the balance will help it age well for the next few years.