Technical data:Winery: Muga
D.O.Ca RiojaVintage: 2021
Variety: Mainly Viura with a percentage of White Grenache and Malvasía from Rioja.
Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.
Tasting notes: Wine with a straw-yellow color, bright that does not show its time in the barrel. Clean, complex nose with aromas of aromatic herbs such as fennel, citrus (lime), stone fruits (peach) and light toasty notes. In the mouth, it is a fresh wine with good acidity, balanced, silky and with a very long aftertaste.
Serving temperature: 9-12º CGeology and Soil: Clay-limestone and alluvial.
Harvest: Manual harvest in 200-kilogram crates with cluster selection in the vineyard and subsequent transfer to the winery in a refrigerated truck.
Production: After a light maceration of the skins with the must in the press, it ferments in new barrels of French oak from the Nevers district with a light toasting. Once the alcoholic fermentation is finished, it remains in the barrels for 3 months, carrying out 2 battonages per week to keep its fine lees in contact with the wine, protecting it from oxygen and providing mouthfeel and harmony to the wine. Before bottling, it is cold stabilized.
Pairing: At Made in Spain, we recommend it with grilled fish, seafood, and rice dishes. Also with semi-cured sheep cheeses and vegan cheeses from Veggie Karma.
Muga's 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 located on a plateau with a very particular geological structure, to which we must add its fantastic protection from the cold winds from the north. In a few words, an exceptional vineyard. They are the first vineyards owned by the Muga family. The quality of their high-end wines lies in this paradise. 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 stop in its effort 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 we also work to ensure that the selection of each and every one of our vines is the best, which is why Muga plants its vineyards with our own selection of vines. These vineyards, located at the highest altitude in La Rioja, on 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.
La Rioja Alavesa: the elite of La Rioja wines
Rioja Alavesa is classified as a subzone 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 vivid 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 vines to absorb the necessary moisture. The climate and location of the vineyards, behind the Sierra de Toloño, also contribute to their quality, protecting the vines from the cold winds of the north and allowing the vines to better take advantage of the heat.
Red wines are the most representative wines of the region and are made from varieties such as Tempranillo (around 79% of the total is produced from this grape), Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.
Youthful or young wines are mostly made using the traditional carbonic maceration method, where whole clusters ferment in a 'lake' for between seven and ten days. Once free of skins and stems, they are transferred to tanks to finish fermentation.
On the other hand, aging, reserve, and grand reserve wines are made using the Bordeaux or destemming method. This