A voluptuous and very special Rioja Reserva. This powerful old vine cuvee saw 26 months in barrel. With deep dark fruits and toasty oak it is rich and almost creamy in texture, with a beautiful balancing act of delicacy and density that only comes from lovingly tended old vines, from an elevated site in Rioja Alta. Serious gear and a beautiful wine.
Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
"This Muga Selección Especial 2019 wine has a rich, deep, black cherry colour and robe. A highly intense nose, in which notes of ripe fruit such as blackberries appear, complemented by spicy aromas of clove and vanilla coming through, giving a lot of complexity. On the palate it has a marked, well-integrated acidity, well-polished tannins and medium body. Very silky and elegant, with ripe fruit notes reappearing with hints of well-integrated wood. Very long and balanced. A Reserva whose good acidity and tannin suggest great ageing potential."
95/100 Zekun Shuai, JamesSuckling.com (2019 Vintage)
"Fresh and demure nose with lots of cocoa powder, blackcurrants, blackberries and a hint of cigar and charcoal. Excellent depth and class here with a very juicy center palate. Medium to full body with a long and layered finish. Drink or hold."
Reviews for the 2018 vintage below…
95/100 Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, July 2022 (2018 Vintage)
"2018 was a cooler vintage, with a fairly long maturation, which made the wines somewhat fresher and less alcoholic, as showcased by the 2018 Selección Especial, a classical blend of the four red varieties from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano with contained ripeness (14.05% alcohol) and good freshness. It fermented in oak casks with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels, 40% of them new, for 26 months. They were not very happy with the vintage and had to sort and discard, but as they didn't produce Prado Enea, Torre Muga or Haro, those grapes went into this wine. They are reluctant about 2018, but I think it was a vintage capable of the best and the worst, and this 2018 is floral, expressive and elegant. It's medium to full- bodied, with very fine, chalky tannins, combining power and elegance. Amazing!"