Technical sheet:
Winery: Muga
D.O.Ca Rioja
Grape varieties: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano
Alcohol: 14.0 % vol.
Tasting notes: This wine has a deep cherry-red color, with high intensity and very good density. On the nose, it shows notes of ripe red fruit, spices (pepper) and undergrowth; the full range of coffee aromas also stands out: café au lait caramel, roasted coffee, with well-integrated oak. On the palate it is silky, with present tannins that reveal its youth and excellent ageing potential. Its tannic structure makes it elegant and balanced.
Serving temperature: 16º C
Geology and soil: Clay-limestone terraces from the Tertiary period.
Winemaking: Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in oak vats. Aged for 26 months in French oak barrels selected in our cooperage. Before bottling, the wine is clarified with fresh egg white. Once bottled, it undergoes a refining process for at least twelve months in our winery.
Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend this wine with red meats, lamb and grilled rock fish. It is also excellent with mature and reserve goat’s and sheep’s cheeses. They make a perfect combination.
The Muga vineyards
Probably one of the terroirs that best defines the typical character of the wines made in Haro. Its geological and climatic features give the wines a marked personality and great ageing potential, making it a unique site in La Rioja. Located just a few kilometers from Haro, it lies on a plateau with a very particular geological structure, to which we must add its fantastic protection from the cold northern winds. In short, an exceptional vineyard. These were the first vineyards owned by the Muga family. The quality of their high-end wines lies in this idyllic setting. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano coexist in this vineyard to give us magnificent wines. This is an example of a family’s work to ensure quality for the future. Muga remains determined to continue investing in the finest terroirs in the area. For our newly planted vineyards, we seek not only to recover the highest-quality plots, but also to ensure that the selection of each and every one of our vines is the very best; for this reason, Muga plants its vineyards with our own selection of vines. These vineyards, located at the highest altitude in La Rioja and at the limit of cultivation, produce wines with very good acidity and ageing potential. Few wineries invest in such extreme areas, but our unique 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, producing an annual average of around 40 million liters of wine.
The area produces mainly red wines with distinctive general characteristics, such as bright, vivid color, fine aromas, fruity flavor and a 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 the cold northern winds and allowing them to make better use of the warmth.
Red wines are the region’s most representative wines and are made from 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 bunches are fermented in a “lagar” for seven to ten days. Once separated from the skins and stems, they are transferred to vats where they complete fermentation.
Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, meanwhile, are made using the Bordeaux method, or destemming process. This consists of crushing the grapes after removing the stems and macerating the must with the pulp for seven days. After several fermentations, the wines are transferred to barrels for ageing. The length of time spent in barrel and bottle determines the difference between Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines.
As rosé and white wines are increasingly appreciated both within and beyond our borders, winemakers and oenologists are working to produce quality wines from these varieties, as part of a commitment to reaching every market.