Technical sheet:
Winery: Muga
D.O.Ca: Rioja
Grape varieties: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano
Alcohol: 14.0 % vol.
Tasting note: This is a medium-high intensity wine, ruby red in color with tile-red reflections. Dense tears create an enveloping sequence in the glass.
First come notes of red fruits such as blackberries, along with hints of spice. All of this is beautifully harmonized with smoky aromas from its time in lightly to medium-toasted oak. Vanilla pod appears in the background with notes of coffee.
On the palate, it has a smooth, rounded attack and enveloping tannins with menthol notes. Its interestingly persistent finish is especially noteworthy.
Serving temperature: 16º C
Geology and soil: Tertiary clay-limestone terraces.
Winemaking: Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in oak vats. Aged for 24 months in barrels made from oaks selected in our own cooperage. Before bottling, clarification is carried out with fresh egg white. Once bottled, it will undergo a refining process for at least twelve months in our cellar.
Pairing: At Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend pairing it with white veal, Iberian cured meats and certain types of stew. It works well with semi-cured and cured sheep’s and goat’s cheeses, as well as creamy cheeses such as those from Oncala or Alma de Calaveruela.
The Muga vineyards
Probably one of the terroirs that best defines the typical character of wines made in Haro. Its geological and climatic features give the wines a marked personality with great aging potential, making it a unique setting in La Rioja. Located a few kilometers from Haro, it lies on a plateau with a very particular geological structure, to which we must add its excellent protection from the cold northern winds. In short, an exceptional vineyard. These were the first vineyards owned by the Muga family. The quality of its top-range wines lies in this paradisiacal setting. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano coexist in this vineyard to produce magnificent wines. This is an example of a family’s work to ensure quality for the future. Muga remains firmly committed to continuing to invest in the best terroirs in the area. For our newly planted vineyards, we not only seek to recover the highest-quality plots, but also work to ensure that the selection of each and every one of our vines is the very best; for this reason, Muga plants its vineyards using our own vine selection. These vineyards, located at the highest altitude in La Rioja and at the very limit of cultivation, produce wines with very good acidity and aging potential. Few wineries choose such extreme areas, but our distinctive cultivation system allows them to craft wines of the highest quality and discover the potential of each of their vineyards.
Rioja Alavesa: the elite of La Rioja wines
Rioja Alavesa is classified as a subzone within the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin. It has 13,500 hectares of vineyards and several hundred wineries, resulting in an average annual production of around 40 million liters of wine.
The area produces mainly red wines with specific general characteristics, such as a bright, vivid color, a fine aroma, fruity flavor and pleasant palate. These qualities are due to the area’s clay-limestone soils, which are excellent for allowing the vines to absorb the moisture they need. The climate and the location of the vineyards, behind the Sierra de Toloño, also contribute to their quality by protecting the vines from cold northern winds and allowing them to make better use of the warmth.
Red wines are the most representative wines of the region and are made with the Tempranillo grape variety (around 79% of the total is produced from this grape), along with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.
Young wines, or reds of the year, are mostly made using the traditional carbonic maceration method, in which whole clusters are fermented in a “lagar” vat for seven to ten days. Once separated from the skins and stems, they are transferred to tanks where fermentation is completed.
Meanwhile, crianza, reserva and gran reserva wines are made using the Bordeaux method, or destemming. This consists of crushing the grapes after removing the stems and macerating the must with its skins for seven days. After several fermentations, the wine is transferred to barrels for aging. The length of time spent in barrel and bottle is what marks the difference between crianzas, reservas and gran reservas.
As rosé and white wines are increasingly appreciated both within Spain and beyond its borders, winemakers and oenologists are working to produce quality wines in these styles, in a commitment to reaching every market.