A trip to Marqués de Murrieta Bon Coeur Fine Wines

This legendary bodega is intrinsically linked with the history of the region having been established in 1852 by Don Luciano Murrieta, with the vineyards located in the southernmost part of La Rioja Alta. It is one of the oldest and most respected bodegas of Rioja, with almost 300 hectares of vines. Marqués de Murrieta are one of the few wineries in Spain to make wine from 100% of their own grapes, controlling them from vine and throughout the wine making process.

Harvest time

I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Marqués de Murietta vineyards and winery in early September, 80 pickers were assembled and had just started harvesting the Viura grapes, for their iconic white wines, which were picked in a day. The Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha would be picked very soon in a staggered harvest, which respects the rhythms of each plot. At this estate all grapes are handpicked and this is the earliest they have ever harvested.

It has been an extremely hot summer across Europe, which has been well documented, this has had a dramatic influence on the harvest of grapes and is a stark reminder of the increasing challenges caused by climate change. Summer temperatures have soared to 45 degrees during the day and only dropping to 30 degrees overnight putting severe heat stress on the grapes, stunting the growth and reducing the yield. The bush vines have provided shade for the grapes to an extent but at these high temperatures, leaves can fall off. Picking earlier is essential to prevent the acidity levels dropping too low. Irrigation has been very very important; water has been earlier in the year and is used sparingly as it becomes a scarce resource.

New winery

Once the grapes have been picked and stacked into crates, they are driven straight into the winery for sorting. A major renovation project at Marqués de Murrieta was completed in 2021 creating incredible, new winemaking facilities, a complex of buildings with more than 25,000 square metres built next to the original Castillo de Ygay. This impressive building is equipped with the latest technology and is considered one of the most state-of-the-art wineries in the world while remaining true to its traditions and identity and ready to continue crafting the finest possible wines.

Marqués de Murrieta Reserva

The bodega produces a small range of wines on their Finca Ygay estate, that include the iconic Marqués de Murrieta Reserva which has been a staple in our wine list for many years. The soil is mostly clay-calcareous soils with an altitude that ranges between 320 meters and 485 meters. The current release is the 2017 vintage which is made up of 83% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo, 2% Garnacha. Each variety brings its own personality to be assembled into a balanced wine after barrel aging. This classic Rioja wine is aged for two years in American oak, before resting a further 18 months in bottle. A complex, intense and impressive nose of dark plum, red cherry and sweet spice. Powerful and bold on the palate, yet the fine tannins and purity of fruit lead to a lingering and silky-smooth finish. The vibrant red fruit flavours marry seamlessly with the vanilla and spice characters contributed by the extended ageing.

Food and wine pairing

The Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2017 is an extremely versatile wine. It paired remarkably well with everything from cured and macerated tuna, grilled baby squid and roasted seabass to veal tenderloin and a cheeseboard. The reason it paired particularly well with the seafood was because the acidity pairs so well with the umami in the fish. The tannins are silky and smooth; therefore, they don’t have a negative impact often associated with pairing red wine with fish.