Winemaker Notes
The 2010 Bodegas Muga Reserva displays shades of dark, yet bright ruby color with the purplish and glints as the eye moves towards the rim of the glass. On the nose, the wine exudes aromas of clearly-defined, very dominant red and black fruit. The most outstanding aspect of this vintage is the initial attack: juicy, meaty, dominant, mineral, structured elegant with light tannic appendices.
Blend: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Textbook reserva from a top producer in Haro's historic Station district. Succulent red fruits with vanilla overlay, finely textured oak tannin; long, elegant finish. Top value.
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James Suckling
Showing its age now with the grilled-wood, meat and sultana highlights to the ripe fruit. It’s full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. Lots of ripe fruit. it develops beautifully in the glass and turns fresh and fruity. Subtle. Holding on nicely and showing that entry-level wine ages nicely. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and expressive, this lively red shows coffee and licorice notes that frame black cherry and currant flavors. The tannins are a bit chewy but resolve gracefully on the fruity finish.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.