Technical sheet:
Winery: Muga
D.O.Ca Rioja
Variety: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo, and 3% Graciano
Alcohol content: 14.0% vol.
Tasting notes: We have a wine with a cherry red color, high layer, and very good density. On the nose, you can find hints of ripe red fruits, spices (pepper), and undergrowth; all the range of coffee aromas stand out: coffee with milk caramel, roasted coffee, and well-integrated wood. In the mouth, it is silky, with present tannins, denoting youth and good aging potential. With a tannic structure that makes it elegant and balanced.
Serving temperature: 16º C
Geology and Soil: Clay-limestone tertiary terraces.
Production: Fermentation with indigenous yeast in oak tanks. Aging for 26 months in French oak barrels selected in our cooperage. Prior to bottling, a clarification with fresh egg white is carried out. Once in the bottle, it undergoes a refining process for a minimum of twelve months in our cellar.
Pairing: At Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend this wine with red meats, lamb, and grilled rock fish. In addition to aged cheeses and goat and sheep reserve. They are a perfect combination.
Muga Vineyards
Probably one of the terroirs that best defines the typicity of wines made in Haro. Its geological and climatic characteristics give the wines a marked personality with great aging potential, making it a unique place in La Rioja. Located a few kilometers from Haro, it is on a plateau with a very particular geological structure, to which we must add its fantastic protection from the cold winds of the north. In short, an exceptional vineyard. These are the first vineyards owned by the Muga family. The quality of their high-end wines lies in this paradisiacal place. Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano coexist in this vineyard to give us magnificent wines. This is an example of a family's work to ensure quality in the future. Muga does not give up its efforts to continue investing in the best terroirs in the area. For our newly planted vineyards, we not only seek to recover the highest quality lands but also work to ensure that the selection of each and every one of our vines is the best, and that is why Muga plants its vineyards with our own selection of vines. These vineyards located at the highest altitude in La Rioja, at the limit of cultivation, produce wines with very good acidity and aging potential. Few wineries bet on such extreme areas, but our peculiar cultivation system allows them to produce wines of the highest quality and discover the potential of each of their vineyards.
Rioja Alavesa: the elite of Rioja wines
Rioja Alavesa is classified as a sub-zone in the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin. It has 13,500 hectares of vineyards and several hundred wineries, resulting in an annual average of around 40 million liters of wine.
The area produces especially red wines with specific general characteristics, such as a bright and lively color, a fine aroma, a fruity flavor, and a pleasant palate. These peculiarities are due to the clay-limestone soils of the area, which are excellent for the vines to absorb the necessary moisture. The climate and location of the vineyards also contribute to their quality, behind the Sierra de Toloño, which protects the vines from the cold winds of the north and allows the vines to better take advantage of the heat.
Red wines are the most representative wines of the region and are made with the varieties Tempranillo (around 79% of the total is produced from this grape), Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.
Young or year wines are mostly made with the traditional carbonic maceration method, in which whole clusters ferment in a 'lake' for seven to ten days. Once free of skins and stems, they move to tanks where they will finish fermentation.
On the other hand, aging, reserve, and grand reserve wines are made using the Bordeaux or destemming method. It involves breaking the grapes by removing the stems and
