Bodegas Muga Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2022

Value of the Year                                                                             One of Rioja's finest reds from Miuga, introducing Torre Muga. Limited. *Wine Spectator #1 Wine Value of 2025* previous vintage 94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The winery’s flagship, the wine that introduced Muga to the world, the Muga Reserva is Tempranillo-dominant, with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano filling in the gaps. A larger-production wine, it offers tremendous quality, fermented in wooden vats using indigenous yeasts, the grapes separated by quality, soil type, and village origin. This one in particular is from a beautiful vintage and practically beams in full-bodied concentration, with supple, silky tannins and light touches of oak spice, cedar, balsamic, and white pepper. A new release, it should continue to thrive another 15-20 years." 93+ Points Robert Parker: "The mUGA 2022 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, has more tertiary notes than other people's Gran Reserva, even though it has a very classical profile. It is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from vineyards no more than 25 kilometers from the winery in Haro, cropped from a warm and dry year. Here, what they did was wait; it rained a little, the plants unblocked and they had the patience to wait for the grapes to ripen fully. So, the grapes were in a very healthy state, and winemaker Isaac Muga likes to ferment the grapes destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and then mature the wine in 90% French and 10% American oak barrels for 22 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It has good ripeness, 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.59 and 5.45 grams of acidity, and it's medium- to full bodied, concentrated but sleek and polished, with fine-grained tannins, very supple flavors and a chalky finish. It still has some toasty notes in the finish that should integrate with a little bit more time." Composed of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo, and 3% Graciano, the Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva is produced from a completely traditional and sustainable style of Riojan viticulture, which is in fact organic, but uncertified. Vineyards that are planted in the coolest, highest altitude parts of Rioja Alta. The vines grow on terraced calcareous clay soils from the Tertiary or Cenozoic period. The climate is continental with Atlantic influences.  A pied de cuve is done to guarantee the quality of the indigenous fermentation in vats that are assembled by the winery's cooper. This is completely unique to Bodegas Muga. The wines are macerated and ferment in these vats and are transferred to barrels. The wine is aged 24 months in barrels with French & American oak chosen and assembled into barrels by Muga’s cooper. 12 months in bottle after egg white fining.

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