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Buy OnlineA voluptuous and very special Rioja Reserva. This powerful old vine cuvee is a sweet spot in the range, seeing 26 months in new French oak casks. 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.
Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"The 2021 vintage was rated as Very Good. With a balanced, fresh profile, it was marked by a long, gradual growing cycle which, especially in the Rioja Alta sub zone, favoured complete ripening with excellent natural acidity. It has a deep robe and an intense black-cherry colour with garnet-red glints. On the nose it stands out for its great intensity, with a predominance of notes of oak and spices, cloves and cocoa, accompanied by ripe fruit and underlying balsamic herbs coming through. It proves round and smooth on the palate, with a silky, very well-balanced texture. Reminders of the ripe fruit reappear, with polished tannins and perfectly integrated acidity which give the wine harmony and length. The finish is long, elegant and persistent, leaving a typically spicy, fruity reminder of the 2021 vintage.
A selection of low-yielding vineyards. Manually harvested into 180-kilo crates and transferred in refrigerated trucks to preserve all the fresh aromas. Alcoholic fermentation in oak vats, with gentle pumping over and spontaneous malolactic fermentation in the cask. Aged for 26 months in French-oak barrels from our own cooperage, followed by fining with egg whites and a minimum of 18 months after bottling before release for sale."
95/100 Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2021 Vintage)
"The 2021 Selección Especial, is always their most gastronomical red, produced with a blend of the four traditional varieties from Rioja—Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano. The grapes fermented in oak vats with moderate extraction, and the wine matured in French oak barrels built by their coopers for 26 months, with racking every eight to nine months. Like many others, they are in love with the wines from 2021, a year that was not easy but produced vibrant wines with lots of freshness and a combination of power and elegance. This wine has evolved over the years, going more toward a selection of vineyards rather than a selection of barrels, which is how it started. It combines classical and more modern characteristics in a fantastic vintage that is evolving very nicely in bottle; they called it a traditional Rioja with a bit of rock and roll! It comes in at 14.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.56 and 5.91 grams of acidity and fine-grained tannins. It's very tasty, savory and almost salty. 290,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2024 after being fined with egg whites."
95/100 Jeb Dunnuck (2021 Vintage)
"Typically a fall release, the 2021 Muga Seleccion Especial is an exceptional wine from an exceptional vintage, combining 80% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo from mostly its own vineyards. Gorgeous red and black berry fruit with citrus undertones carry a plush, generous, and full-bodied palate with an undeniable lightness of being. It spends 26 months in 40% new oak. There’s nuanced baking spice, dried herb, and lavender, supple tannins, and moderate tension, the acidity able to retain freshness throughout. Age 15-20 years."
17.5/20 Ferran Centelles, JancisRobinson.com (2021 Vintage)
"Tasted blind. Cooked black fruit, cocoa and menthol, alongside toasted oak and vanilla aromas. The fruit is concentrated and powerful, with a juicy, inky texture and a remarkable tannic load – yet so sweet it feels almost like a caress. A wine of volume and impact, while maintaining very good shape and delineation, lifted by an extra layer of acidity that gives it real ageing potential. Muga has clearly shifted this wine from a more traditional, aromatically open style to a distinctly modern expression of Rioja. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Fermented with ambient yeasts, followed by 26 months of ageing in French oak barrels. Fined using fresh egg whites, in the traditional manner."
