BODEGAS MUGA RESERVA RIOJA 2015

70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo & 3% Graciano

Founded by Isaac Muga Martínez and his wife, Auro Caño in 1932, in Haro, at the Western end of Rioja Alta. After fermentation the wine is aged for 6 months in large traditional vats, before 24 months in small oak barrels, and a further year in bottle before release.

Muga Reserva hits that perfect balance of modern and traditional. The fruit is clean and perfect, in a lush and bright and slightly spicy style, but elegant and medium-bodied. The elevated, Atlantic influence in the Rioja Alta region brings a Bordeaux-like focus to the effortless Spanish ripeness.

94/100 James Suckling (2015 Vintage) 
"Complex nose with ripe black cherries, deeply integrated cedary oak, baking spices, dried flowers, leather, fresh tobacco and earthy notes. This is silky and mellow with long, laid-back tannins that deliver ripe dark plum flavours into a spicy and earthy finish."

93/100 Tim Atkin (2015 Vintage) 
"Showing the intensity of this warm, Mediterranean vintage, this rich, powerful cuvée of Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and 10% Mazuelo and Graciano is focused, dense and stylishly oaked, with plush tannins, supporting acidity and the structure to age further in bottle. Drink 2020 – 2030."

92/100 Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2015 Vintage) 
"The 2015 Reserva had just been bottled, and it should be released around January 2019 in the international market and in Spain (as Crianza) in October 2018. This was a very long harvest (similar to 2016). They started at the end of August with the Cava, and they finished at the end of October with very healthy grapes, good yields and very good quality. The wine shows very good ripeness but without any excess. It has incipient complexity, still young and undeveloped but with very good balance between power and elegance, with fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity. This has to be one of the best recent vintages of this popular bottling. Drink 2020 – 2027."