Marques de Murrieta Reserva Rioja - 2020 (750ml)

94 points Robert Parker

The 2020 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Tempranillo makes up 82% of the blend this year, 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 love the aromatics here—floral and elegant, more in the style of the 2018 than the 2019. It's lighter, more elegant and 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. Luis Gutiérrez

93 points Wine Review Online

This is a stellar example of Rioja. If you enjoy wines with the softness and round style that barrel and bottle maturation provides, you should definitely consider this Rioja Reserva bottling. Oak aging is traditional (and required) in this Reserva classification, and the Tempranillo grape marries well with the vanilla and spice tones imparted by the barrels. The Marqués de Murrieta 2020 Rioja Reserva shows the classic beauty of the oak and wine marriage. Black cherry and raspberry fruit aromas are enhanced by elements of cocoa, tea leaves, lilac, cinnamon, vanilla and allspice. The fruit is beautifully expressed on the palate, with a silky texture and layers of black cherry and raspberry underlain by hint of toasted nuts, cocoa, tea, vanilla and spice tones. It is a great value for a wine of this dimension and complexity. Wayne Belding