Notes - Established in 1852, Murrieta are one of the oldest and most respected bodegas of Rioja. Their wines are made in a "classic" Rioja style and receive long ageing in barrel before release. Their wines are concentrated and long-lived, both red and white, and some - like the Gran Reserva "Castillo Ygay" - have become legendary amongst Rioja-lovers. The 1983 Gran Reserve is part of Murrieta's "Special Release" series of wines from excellent vintages that have been cellared at Murrieta until release. The grapes for this wine are sourced from the 300 hectare Ygay estate which is at an altitude of 400m. The grapes are 72% Tempranillo, 13% Mazuelo and 4 % Graciano. The wine was fermented in wooden 18,000 Lt. barrels, for 15 days, with constant skin contact. It was then pressed vertical wooden presses with double screws. This process lasts for over 3- 5 hours. It is a smooth and slow treatment that favours the extraction of the colour and tannins that reside in the skin of the grapes. Ageing is in a mixture of new and old 225 litre American oak barriques. The wine was aged for 72 months in barrel before being bottled and released to the market (1991). Presented in a wooden gift box.