96pts Decanter

Elegant yet perfectly structured, this is the most floral of the Murrieta Reservas I’ve tasted in recent years. With 8% Graciano and 4% Mazuelo, the nose is perfumed with pretty rose petal and delicate red berry fruit, as well as wild herbal aromas. Blueberry fruit typical of Tempranillo directs the palate, rounded out with a little fleshy Garnacha, and framed by subtle American oak. It offers immediate appeal but will age gracefully for many years to come.

96pts Jeb Dunnuck

Even more outstanding than the 2020, the incredibly priced 2021 Reserva is young in boisterous blue fruit, with a generous, full-bodied palate of richness and upfront power. The tannins add length and breadth to the wine, which is tasting great and could go another 10-15 years. Marques De Murrieta is the Rioja-based sister brand of Pazo De Barrantes in Rias Baixas.

95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Their flagship wine comes from one of the finest vintages in recent times. The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta was previously called the Reserva and still qualifies as such, but it's not included in the name now. It was produced with 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha Tinta from their 300 hectares of vines in their Ygay estate on limestone and clay soils with alluvial influence. The grapes were picked between the 27th of September and the 15th of October, and each plot and variety was vinified separately in stainless steel, matured in American oak barrels for 26 months, then blended and kept in concrete for a few months until bottling, which was a longer élevage this year. It's very spicy, peppery, with a combination of berry fruit and some incipient tertiary aromas, hints of forest floor and truffle. It's very Rioja, with clout, elegance and freshness and the elegant tannins that are the signature of 2021. It comes in at 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, denoting ripeness and balance. It's delicious, fresh and available. Bravo!

95pts Tim Atkin

Production runs to more than 800,000 bottles, so the quality of this cuvée of Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha is especially commendable. Reflecting the quality of the 2021 vintage, it's floral and intense, with aromas of Asian spices, incense, coconut and wild herbs, stylish American oak sweetness and a core of damson and blackberry fruit. Built to last.

94pts Vinous

94+ points. The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 7% Mazuelo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha from Rioja Alta. Measured in progression, it offers clear blackberry and fresh plum aromas. Its palate is the highlight, balancing juiciness with moderate weight and a fruit-driven finish. After a year in bottle, it gains a touch of silkiness, and the finish reveals subtle notes of flowers and red fruit. As it develops, complexity grows, adding depth to the flavors and aromatics.

94pts James Suckling

This shows vibrant cherries, spiced plums, blue fruit and superb balance with well-hidden oak. Firm and really harmonious, it has a bit more prominence of fruit and fine-grained tannins than the 2020. Drink from 2026.

Winemaker Notes

A palpable example of the elegance, consistency and regularity that characterize Marqués de Murrieta winery. This wine shows the incredible personality of the Ygay Estate and summarizes perfectly what happens during a whole vegetative cycle.

Pair with lightly smoked hake kokotxa, Pil pil sauce, olive, and soy; galician green chickpeas, organic egg yolk, and white truffle; line-caught baby squid, roasted squid jus, and "redondilla" olive oil.

Blend: 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo, 2% Garnacha.