The wine that introduced Muga to the world, and still one of the great values in classic Rioja. Muga has been crafting wine in Haro’s historic Barrio de la Estación since 1932, and nearly everything is done in house: fermentation in oak vats, then 24 months in barrels built by Muga’s own coopers (80% French, 20% American oak), finished with traditional egg-white fining. The blend is mostly Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, all from vineyards within about 25 km of the winery.
The 2022 is sleek and polished, with black cherry, dark plum, chocolate and spice, plus accents of cured tobacco, anise and espresso. Medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a chalky, long finish. Classic in profile, with the depth to age for years. Pair with grilled lamb, ribeye, chorizo or Manchego.
93+ Points
"The 2022 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, has more tertiary notes than other people's Gran Reserva, even though it has a very classical profile. It is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from vineyards no more than 25 kilometers from the winery in Haro, cropped from a warm and dry year. Here, what they did was wait; it rained a little, the plants unblocked and they had the patience to wait for the grapes to ripen fully. So, the grapes were in a very healthy state, and winemaker Isaac Muga likes to ferment the grapes destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and then mature the wine in 90% French and 10% American oak barrels for 22 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It has good ripeness, 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.59 and 5.45 grams of acidity, and it's medium- to full bodied, concentrated but sleek and polished, with fine-grained tannins, very supple flavors and a chalky finish. It still has some toasty notes in the finish that should integrate with a little bit more time. 945,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025. They are very happy with 2022, and they even produced Prado Enea and a tiny quantity of Aro."
The wine that introduced Muga to the world, and still one of the great values in classic Rioja. Muga has been crafting wine in Haro’s historic Barrio de la Estación since 1932, and nearly everything is done in house: fermentation in oak vats, then 24 months in barrels built by Muga’s own coopers (80% French, 20% American oak), finished with traditional egg-white fining. The blend is mostly Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, all from vineyards within about 25 km of the winery.
The 2022 is sleek and polished, with black cherry, dark plum, chocolate and spice, plus accents of cured tobacco, anise and espresso. Medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a chalky, long finish. Classic in profile, with the depth to age for years. Pair with grilled lamb, ribeye, chorizo or Manchego.
93+ Points
"The 2022 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, has more tertiary notes than other people's Gran Reserva, even though it has a very classical profile. It is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from vineyards no more than 25 kilometers from the winery in Haro, cropped from a warm and dry year. Here, what they did was wait; it rained a little, the plants unblocked and they had the patience to wait for the grapes to ripen fully. So, the grapes were in a very healthy state, and winemaker Isaac Muga likes to ferment the grapes destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and then mature the wine in 90% French and 10% American oak barrels for 22 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It has good ripeness, 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.59 and 5.45 grams of acidity, and it's medium- to full bodied, concentrated but sleek and polished, with fine-grained tannins, very supple flavors and a chalky finish. It still has some toasty notes in the finish that should integrate with a little bit more time. 945,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025. They are very happy with 2022, and they even produced Prado Enea and a tiny quantity of Aro."
