Wine Advocate Review
There are just 1250 cases of the exceptional 1978 Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay. Only in the greatest vintages (1917, 1925, 1934, 1942, 1952, 1959, 1964, 1968, 1970, and this 1978) is a portion of the wine held back for extended cask aging. The wine is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 12% Mazuelo, and 3% Graciano aged for 216 months in American oak barriques. The wine was bottled in 1998. Medium ruby-colored, it has a super-expressive bouquet of cedar, leather, Asian spices, mineral, and assorted red and black fruits with the kind of complexity that only extended aging can provide. Remarkably youthful on the palate, the wine shows little sign of age. Ripe, elegant, concentrated, and full-flavored, this beautifully balanced wine can be enjoyed now and should continue to drink well for at least another 12-15 years. Indeed, having recently shared a bottled of the 1952 Castillo Ygay, it seems likely that this 1978 will also have a 50 year lifespan. Drink 2008 - 2023. (Review: April 2008)

Wine Tasting Notes
The Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial is bright tawny red in color, with an open nose of rich spice and fruit balanced by firm, subtle oak. The palate begins with an intense explosion of ripe fruit becoming increasingly serious with hints of mushrooms and nuts, and balanced by very fresh acidity and soft tannins.