70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano
Full body, 14% abv, deep ruby to purple colour. Intense aroma of black ripe fruits, tobacco and liquorice. Sweet cherry and plum palate following by a bit earthy but juicy finish of good length. Impressive, rich, bold, complex and well balanced, lovely acidity and fine grained tannins. Food friendly, wall pairing chicken paella. Serve 16ºC - 20ºC. Open one hour ahead. Drink now and the next eight years, perhaps longer.
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This @BodegasMuga wine from Rioja is a blend made from predominantly from Tempranillo with small amounts of Garnacha Tinta and Graciano.
Deep ruby red in color with delicious red and black fruit aromas and flavors, such as blueberries, plums and cherries, along with notes of vanilla, chocolate and spices.
Medium body and acidity with smooth tannins on the palate. Well balanced with a long fruity finish.
This wine was fermented in oak vats and aged for 24 months in barrels made buy their own coopers. Once bottled, this wine ages for another 12 months before released.
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Nose: Red fruits. Cedar. Cigar box. Roasted cherry tomatoes in balsamic and garlic. A little wet earth and dried leaves. Taste: Red fruits really come through. Cherry. High tannin. Needs way more decant than I gave it. What can I say, I have no patience. Long finish. This, folks, is why we drink wine. Fucking love in a glass. Not to mention Muga still filters their wines with egg whites… kind of a cool factoid. But this wine! Decant it long age it well. Either way. It’s a treat. :)
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Moderate and pleasant sage/red dirt like aromatics, medium mouthfeel that initially opens as a dusty/earthy palate with moderated acid and medium length finish - paired with middle eastern foods it takes on stronger acidity in subsequent stages and as it opened up over the meal came back into balance. Would recommend a decant next time. Great value.
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Theres spices, at times vanilla and blackberry on the nose. Really rich and tasty with quite some power. A medium finish with nice structure and some dryness. Not that complex, but i like the power and richness here.
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91/92. I gave this 10 hrs aeration. Has aromas of chalk bing cherries, roses, blackberries and spice. Its medium bodied spherical blue, red and black fruits palate has nice tangy vanillary/ chocolatey deliniation and ends longish, tangy and gripping. 14%. Excellent value at 18 Euros. Lay down 3-5 years.
A bit bitter to start and not as oaky as I expected. Floral fruits, sour cherry, and leather. Drank over a few hours and it softened quite a bit but not an overperformer
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Day 1: Solid but not as good as some of the earlier bottles. This is not a long term ager and drink now for sure. Leather, rustic edge, cherry, spice, floral and minerals. Drink now. 90 points Recommendation: Drink up now. Day 2: Sour cherry, leather, spice, earth and dried leaves. Shorter finish than day 1. Drink up. 87 points Recommendation: Drink Immediately.
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Interesting Red with light in color start and good balance of Bright berries and spice with a lighter than I like finish. Not my type of varietal but certainly good for what it is.,
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the reserva is excellent value as per usual... fruity, spicy and aromatic bouquet, palate is bright but balanced, with dominant notes of cherry, strawberry and a touch of something woody. very nice balance and texture for a wine at this price point.
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First glass was a bit tart, rough, bitter, not quite well balanced, but it gradually softened, got better, sweeter. Best on day 3. Medium plus bodied, blackberry 70/bluberry 30 kind of dark fruits, plus cedar notes.
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Spanish Wine Tasting (Chicago.wine - Glenview IL): Walk around tasting. Rich and fun in the fashion of a very modern-styled wine, this is balanced and tasty, albeit slightly non-descript for Rioja.
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Better on 2nd day. Agree with the other favorable reviewers. A lot of punch packed in here and good QPR when in sale. Good aromatics, spice smoke and good acidic finish. No flab here.
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No score since didn't have enough to form strong opinion but liked the other 2 Rioja had earlier in the week better (maybe fatigue) . Consumed at last night in OBX.
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On nose: distnct oak/ vanilla and dark ripe cherries. On palate: all above flavours enhanced, as well as notes of cinnamon and a ghost of cloves, in addition to faint cigar tobacco, on a clean lightly acidic medium body....decanted for 3 hours, still quite young and not at it's peak just yet.....more bottle age is needed...but is well made....good future.
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Deep, purple-garnet, bright clear ruby edges. Aromas of black cherry & currant fruit, star anise, nutmeg, violet and black tea. High-toned and generous black raspberry and red plum fruit flavors with secondary clove & cedar, wild herb & purple florals, nicely melded - succulent and savory. Medium to full in body, with plush fleshy structure, juicy acid and ripe tannins. Finishing dry with lingering black fruit. Another great bottle of Muga Rioja Reserva for under $30.
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Day 2: This is the worst bottle of the case I bought. A bit hot and features wood, red berries, red hots and earth. Not flawed but just not at the same level as previous bottles so yes bottle variation. 87 points Day 2.5: Improved over the course of half a day. Not quite the level of previous bottles but better than early in day 2. Cherry, spice, red berries, minerals and wood. The heat blew off so if that happens to you decant a bit. Much better and enjoyable. 90 points Recommendation: Don't give up on this wine on an initial review. Nor should you do that with any wine. A few low reviews with just scores which I have never understood.
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Day 1: Wood, mild dill, raspberries, leather, cigar and chocolate. Full of flavors and good acidity. Medium plus finish. 92 points Day 2: The dill is not present on day 2. Really the first time I got dill on this wine. Spice, earth, cigar, leather and red currants. Medium plus finish. Solid again. 92 points Recommendation: This continues to be a great wine and no bad bottles.
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Day 1: Excellent again with laser focused acidity along with wood, cherry, minerals, earth, mint and spices. Can't believe this wine costs less than $25. Outstanding value. 93 points Day 2: So vibrant on day 2 with great acidity, wood, minerals, earth, cherry, plum and spice. Medium plus finish and good concentration. A true gem and drinks well right now with the potential to age. 93 points
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On vacation, so pop and pour, following half the bottle over 2 hours before, during and after ribeye dinner. Quite nice for the price, with true Rioja character.
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Medium Ruby. Medium Intensity aroma with a nice strong aroma of brown sugar. Medium+ body, medium acidity,14.5% alcohol, Off-dry and with a medium body
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Aromas of earthy, dark red cherries with some red flowers as well. A really pleasant nose.
Flavors of spiced, dark red cherries with the stems, deep earth, soft tree bark and a good spice. Light on its feet so felt even refreshing at times to drink this.
This took some time to open up, wasn't accessible right out the gate. However, after some air time, this showed more depth which was really nice. This also had a very nice rustic character for both the nose and on the palate.
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dark plum, dark ruby, in color. cherry, plum, raspberry, tomato, fig, chocolate, leather, tobacco, cedar, spice, vanilla, orange peel, mineral, oak. fine tannins, leather, juicy red fruit, vanilla, on the finish.
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2 hour decant. Could have used 4. Young. But once opened for a few hours it’s really began to show its depth and finesse. A really good Rioja, not over oaked like so many can be these days. Can age about 5 years.
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70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano
Full body, deep ruby to purple color. Intense, harmonies and complex aroma of black and blue ripe fruits, tobacco and flowers. Predominantly plummy palate with balsamic notes following by liquorice but juicy finish of good length. Impressive, rich and bold but well balanced. As well reveals wild berries’ acidity and fine grained, still young tannins. Food friendly, wall pairing spinach and basil ravioli with mozzarella. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Open three hours ahead. Drink now while young and next six/eight years, perhaps longer.
Day 2: Just moving to day 2 since this is never as good on day one with many notes indicating that. Lighter in style than previous bottles but still solid. Leather, raspberries, minerals and spice. Short to medium finish. Solid. 91 points
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Feels pretty serious for the price, but not necessarily standout- at this stage. I definitely think it'll improve drastically with a little time, and there was some genuine elegance here, even though the whole package was a little shy and straightforward right now. No decant, but it improved a lot over the evening and others have reported amazing evolution over a few days!
Extremely reticent but also really pretty nose that unusually focuses on the fruit (for Rioja Reserva) while still integrating complex oak accents. Sort of a tight baked plum, black cherry, blackberry compote thing with gentle baking spices, beautiful allspice, vanilla, cinnamon, subtle but lifting the fruit up well. Lovely, just super shy and I feel like it'll be extremely expressive and balanced with a cellar nap.
Same goes for the palate. Pretty much the same flavor profile, with deep, spiced purply fruit, a touch of dried cherry, and excellent balance, showing more than enough acidic lift without ever feeling tart, and plenty of gentle little tannins waiting in the wings to facilitate light aging.
I might be overrating it for how it shows *now* but this is a very complete wine for $25, one that's perfectly enjoyable now and will also reward a little patience. Not as immediately attention-grabbing as others in the price range such as Viña Alberdi, but feels more about the fruit than the oak without feeling stunted, which I really appreciate.
Day 1: Softer than previous bottles featuring minerals, cherry blossoms, spice, dust and dried leaves. Solid but not as good as previous bottles. 88 points Day 2: Consistent with the improvement on day 2 with previous bottles. Minerals, cherry, dust, dried leaves, tobacco and floral notes. Much improved and medium plus finish. 91 points Day 3: When I open these I consume most of the bottle on day 2/3 knowing it show better. This is no exception. Sour cherries, dried leaves, tobacco, minerals, dust, floral and subtle wood. Excellent concentration and medium plus finish. 92 points Day 3.5: Still singing. Darker fruits, minerals, tobacco, floral, dried leaves, wood, coffee beans and dust. Outstanding. 92+ Recommendation: This wine is consistently good and one of the better Spanish Values out there.
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Wow what a nice surprise for such a young Rioja! Sour cherry bing but with this fruitiness/ripeness that is very appealing. It works very good with the early acidity in this wine. Of course it mellows down and gets better and better with air in glass! Very good. The nose at times reminded me of a baby Vega #5
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A perfect wine for a Friday night when you’ve already drank a bottle and you want another bottle, but don’t want to open an expensive wine, so you open this wine.
Way too super young. Originally had tried to order the 04 but they were out of it so left with recent vintage. This is still a well made wine for a very reasonable price. It's a bigger style (of course, Rioja), but within that style done in a more refined way I'd say. Very drinkable.
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Day 1: Fourth bottle in two months. Sour cherry, earth, spices, dust, wood and floral notes. Packs a ton of flavor and medium plus finish. Just really enjoyable young and continues to impress. 93 points Day 2: Nice perfumed floral notes along with sour cherry, wood, earth, cigar, minerals, pepper and dust. Medium plus finish. 93-94. Day 3: Might be the most interesting transformation of day 3 in quite some time. This is the first time I have tasted a Muga Reserva and got dill at this level of intensity. It is like I am drinking a La Rioja Alta 904. I like this transformation and it offers dill, wood, dust, earth, spice and red fruits. Wow what a wine! Buy a case and enjoy over the next decade. 94 points
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90 Nov 2021 👃 strawberry, cherry, plum, flowers - smells really nice. 👅 can't pin down the fruit, probably plum and blackberry, very high acid, fresh, oak, vanilla, leather, stems, dark chocolate and faint menthol in the lingering finish. Right up there in terms of best value wines I've had so far and best Reserva so far as well. No degradation the next day.
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Day 1: Red berries, spice, mint, mild wood and rustic elements. Very flavorful and having 2 bottles already this is drinking great on a pop and pour. Very enjoyable over the 3 day process and this will age nicely for five/eight years. Would not do long term aging on this one however. 92 points Day 2: Red berries, earth, mild wood, spice, floral and stone. Rustic edge to the wine which is always something I enjoy about Rioja wines. 92 points Day 2.5: Holly cow! In my lifetime I have never had two better 2.5 tastings of two wines. The 2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee Estate Seven Hills Vineyard was left in a glass all day and rocked but this Muga later in the day is maybe even better. I love the funk and this is the first time I have gotten it on this 2017 Muga. Delivers red currants, earth, minerals, exotic spices, dust, gravel and sweet floral notes. Medium plus and complex finish. This will probably be top 3 wine of the year especially considering the value element. 94 points Day 3: Still great but not as good as day 2.5. Hit that at the peak moment. Blueberries, sour cherry, dust, minerals, earth and spices. Medium plus finish. 93 points Recommendation: Buy! I need to get at least another case of this wine. Hard to tell how long to age them as they are so great with proper decant or day 2/3 right now. 2030 probably is safe and maybe beyond.
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Day 1: Pretty intense bottle on the pop and pour which is to be expected. Spices, bright red currants, crushed rock, violets, wood and dust. Very enjoyable wine. Should mellow out throughout the day and on days 2 and 3. 91 points Day 1.5: Wow what five hours will do. This is amazing. Mineral streak, cherry, raspberries, floral, spice, dust and mild wood. This is a top wine of the year for me under $30.00. 93+ points Day 2: Solid on day 2 again. Nice combo of fruit and earth elements. There is a nice minerality streak on the finish. Medium plus and nice acidity. 92 points Day 3: The concentration on day 3 is more intense which indicates this will age for 10 plus without breaking a sweat. Underbrush, dark cherries, blueberries, dust, wood, minerals, earth and exotic spices. Medium to long finish. Excellent. 93+ points Day 4: Nice sour cherry, spice, wood, floral, dust and minerals. This held up strong on day 4 by just putting the cork back after each pour. Recommend more people try this approach. 91 points Recommendation: This will improve with age and might be the best Muga Reserva produced in a long time.
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Day 1: All young Muga Reserva's improve over time. Earth, spices, floral notes, coffee beans, minerals and red currants. Tight wine that should open up over the next few days. 90-92 points Day 2: Better. Nice concentration featuring roasted chestnuts, earth, spice, floral, cherry, sour raspberries and minerals. Medium plus finish and delicious. Great value at $25.00. 91 points Day 3: Hoping for even more improvement and got it! This the real deal and for those who don't like the wood/dill of some Rioja wines this one is for you! Raspberries, minerals, sour cherry, spice, mild wood note, roasted chestnuts and dried rose petals. Medium plus finish and complexity overload. Might be one of the better under $30 Spanish Wines in a long time. 93+ points Day 4: A rare day 4 at 3 Day Wine Review headquarters. Amazing how good this is on day 4. Has not lost a step. 93 points Recommendation: BUY IT!
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10/18/2023 - vlzat Likes this wine: 92 Points
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano
Full body, 14% abv, deep ruby to purple colour. Intense aroma of black ripe fruits, tobacco and liquorice. Sweet cherry and plum palate following by a bit earthy but juicy finish of good length. Impressive, rich, bold, complex and well balanced, lovely acidity and fine grained tannins. Food friendly, wall pairing chicken paella. Serve 16ºC - 20ºC. Open one hour ahead. Drink now and the next eight years, perhaps longer.
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10/14/2023 - Chef419 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This @BodegasMuga wine from Rioja is a blend made from predominantly from Tempranillo with small amounts of Garnacha Tinta and Graciano.
Deep ruby red in color with delicious red and black fruit aromas and flavors, such as blueberries, plums and cherries, along with notes of vanilla, chocolate and spices.
Medium body and acidity with smooth tannins on the palate. Well balanced with a long fruity finish.
This wine was fermented in oak vats and aged for 24 months in barrels made buy their own coopers. Once bottled, this wine ages for another 12 months before released.
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10/2/2023 - Yohansmas Likes this wine:
개인적으로 울적한 일이 생겨서 급하게 깠던 스페인 와인.
결론부터 얘기하자면 역시 스페인은 가성비가 좋은 와인을 잘 만들어 내는군요.
구하기가 꽤나 쉬워서 마셔버렸지만 가지고 있는 사람은 셀러링을 좀 더 해도 좋을 듯.
코에서는 과실향이 꽤나 진하게 느껴지는 편인데, 굳이 따지면 검은 과실에 가깝다.
아주 약간의 가죽향 비슷한 냄새가 나긴 하지만 주도적이지는 않다.
아마 블라인드로 했으면 최소한 템프라니요는 안 나왔을듯 싶다.
입에서는 이태리라고 해도 믿을 정도의 적절한 산도가 느껴진다.
이내 스모키하면서도 유산발효 향이 느껴져서 괜찮았다.
다만, 앞서 말했듯이 스트레스로 인하여 닭발과 마셨는데 역시나 매운 음식과 와인의 페어링은 어렵다.
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5/6/2023 - sjaelland@mail.dk wrote: 86 Points
Classic Rioja. Oak and dark fruit. Very acidic when opening. Definitely improving with time. Open well before drinking
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4/22/2023 - G.O. wrote: 91 Points
For a Reserva and the money spent, this was very good, especially with heavy food. Decanted for an hour.
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3/9/2023 - bvanallen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose: Red fruits. Cedar. Cigar box. Roasted cherry tomatoes in balsamic and garlic. A little wet earth and dried leaves. Taste: Red fruits really come through. Cherry. High tannin. Needs way more decant than I gave it. What can I say, I have no patience. Long finish. This, folks, is why we drink wine. Fucking love in a glass. Not to mention Muga still filters their wines with egg whites… kind of a cool factoid. But this wine! Decant it long age it well. Either way. It’s a treat. :)
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3/9/2023 - DDw2 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Moderate and pleasant sage/red dirt like aromatics, medium mouthfeel that initially opens as a dusty/earthy palate with moderated acid and medium length finish - paired with middle eastern foods it takes on stronger acidity in subsequent stages and as it opened up over the meal came back into balance. Would recommend a decant next time. Great value.
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2/24/2023 - Whitman wrote: 90 Points
Theres spices, at times vanilla and blackberry on the nose. Really rich and tasty with quite some power. A medium finish with nice structure and some dryness. Not that complex, but i like the power and richness here.
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12/11/2022 - The_Bone_Doc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needed 3-4 hours to breathe. Excellent on the nose and really smooth drinking. Warm, chocolatey, cherry-flavours. Went down well with a roast.
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11/11/2022 - dg79 wrote: 92 Points
good red, great value, excellent accompaniment with food, both red-sauce italian and roast chicken or grilled meats.
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10/27/2022 - macaujames Likes this wine: 92 Points
91/92. I gave this 10 hrs aeration. Has aromas of chalk bing cherries, roses, blackberries and spice. Its medium bodied spherical blue, red and black fruits palate has nice tangy vanillary/ chocolatey deliniation and ends longish, tangy and gripping. 14%. Excellent value at 18 Euros. Lay down 3-5 years.
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10/13/2022 - RMyrick wrote: 87 Points
A bit bitter to start and not as oaky as I expected. Floral fruits, sour cherry, and leather. Drank over a few hours and it softened quite a bit but not an overperformer
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10/3/2022 - g-man wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/26/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Day 1: Solid but not as good as some of the earlier bottles. This is not a long term ager and drink now for sure. Leather, rustic edge, cherry, spice, floral and minerals. Drink now. 90 points
Recommendation: Drink up now.
Day 2: Sour cherry, leather, spice, earth and dried leaves. Shorter finish than day 1. Drink up. 87 points
Recommendation: Drink Immediately.
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9/16/2022 - gamlingman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Interesting Red with light in color start and good balance of Bright berries and spice with a lighter than I like finish. Not my type of varietal but certainly good for what it is.,
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8/26/2022 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 90 Points
the reserva is excellent value as per usual... fruity, spicy and aromatic bouquet, palate is bright but balanced, with dominant notes of cherry, strawberry and a touch of something woody. very nice balance and texture for a wine at this price point.
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8/22/2022 - fotomill Likes this wine: 91 Points
First glass was a bit tart, rough, bitter, not quite well balanced, but it gradually softened, got better, sweeter. Best on day 3. Medium plus bodied, blackberry 70/bluberry 30 kind of dark fruits, plus cedar notes.
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7/29/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Spanish Wine Tasting (Chicago.wine - Glenview IL): Walk around tasting. Rich and fun in the fashion of a very modern-styled wine, this is balanced and tasty, albeit slightly non-descript for Rioja.
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7/15/2022 - Steve Simmons Likes this wine: 91 Points
Better on 2nd day. Agree with the other favorable reviewers. A lot of punch packed in here and good QPR when in sale. Good aromatics, spice smoke and good acidic finish. No flab here.
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7/2/2022 - @sebastienwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromas of dusty oak and cherry tobacco leaf and anise. Thé finish is long and spicy A great expression of Rioja from a great producer
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7/1/2022 - yeti575rider wrote:
No score since didn't have enough to form strong opinion but liked the other 2 Rioja had earlier in the week better (maybe fatigue) . Consumed at last night in OBX.
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6/22/2022 - Pontifax wrote: 90 Points
On nose: distnct oak/ vanilla and dark ripe cherries.
On palate: all above flavours enhanced, as well as notes of cinnamon and a ghost of cloves, in addition to faint cigar tobacco, on a clean lightly acidic medium body....decanted for 3 hours, still quite young and not at it's peak just yet.....more bottle age is needed...but is well made....good future.
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6/1/2022 - Woody444 wrote:
20.99
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5/28/2022 - Ruubious wrote:
Big and full, lots of aroma, but dominated by a strange unexpected smell, maybe dill or something,
May have been off, but didn’t ruin it
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5/21/2022 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, purple-garnet, bright clear ruby edges. Aromas of black cherry & currant fruit, star anise, nutmeg, violet and black tea. High-toned and generous black raspberry and red plum fruit flavors with secondary clove & cedar, wild herb & purple florals, nicely melded - succulent and savory. Medium to full in body, with plush fleshy structure, juicy acid and ripe tannins. Finishing dry with lingering black fruit. Another great bottle of Muga Rioja Reserva for under $30.
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5/11/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Day 2: This is the worst bottle of the case I bought. A bit hot and features wood, red berries, red hots and earth. Not flawed but just not at the same level as previous bottles so yes bottle variation. 87 points
Day 2.5: Improved over the course of half a day. Not quite the level of previous bottles but better than early in day 2. Cherry, spice, red berries, minerals and wood. The heat blew off so if that happens to you decant a bit. Much better and enjoyable. 90 points
Recommendation: Don't give up on this wine on an initial review. Nor should you do that with any wine. A few low reviews with just scores which I have never understood.
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4/25/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Wood, mild dill, raspberries, leather, cigar and chocolate. Full of flavors and good acidity. Medium plus finish. 92 points
Day 2: The dill is not present on day 2. Really the first time I got dill on this wine. Spice, earth, cigar, leather and red currants. Medium plus finish. Solid again. 92 points
Recommendation: This continues to be a great wine and no bad bottles.
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4/12/2022 - redwhiteandrich Likes this wine: 91 Points
Hides it's oak well, dare I say Bordeaux like as well? The fruit takes some time to emerge from the minerals and cedar, very nice.
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3/19/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: Excellent again with laser focused acidity along with wood, cherry, minerals, earth, mint and spices. Can't believe this wine costs less than $25. Outstanding value. 93 points
Day 2: So vibrant on day 2 with great acidity, wood, minerals, earth, cherry, plum and spice. Medium plus finish and good concentration. A true gem and drinks well right now with the potential to age. 93 points
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2/23/2022 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
On vacation, so pop and pour, following half the bottle over 2 hours before, during and after ribeye dinner. Quite nice for the price, with true Rioja character.
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2/21/2022 - Maximob Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium Ruby.
Medium Intensity aroma with a nice strong aroma of brown sugar.
Medium+ body, medium acidity,14.5% alcohol, Off-dry and with a medium body
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2/16/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 91 Points
[No formal notes]
Aromas of earthy, dark red cherries with some red flowers as well. A really pleasant nose.
Flavors of spiced, dark red cherries with the stems, deep earth, soft tree bark and a good spice. Light on its feet so felt even refreshing at times to drink this.
This took some time to open up, wasn't accessible right out the gate. However, after some air time, this showed more depth which was really nice. This also had a very nice rustic character for both the nose and on the palate.
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2/15/2022 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
dark plum, dark ruby, in color. cherry, plum, raspberry, tomato, fig, chocolate, leather, tobacco, cedar, spice, vanilla, orange peel, mineral, oak. fine tannins, leather, juicy red fruit, vanilla, on the finish.
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2/6/2022 - HJSEO Likes this wine: 89 Points
Fresh, oak, fruity, good finish. What rioja should be.
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2/5/2022 - Old Wine Maven Likes this wine:
2 hour decant. Could have used 4. Young. But once opened for a few hours it’s really began to show its depth and finesse. A really good Rioja, not over oaked like so many can be these days. Can age about 5 years.
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1/23/2022 - AaronToussaint wrote:
Both thought this was ok. Preferred our “normal” Rioja more
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1/16/2022 - KL1975 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best on day 3, so decant or wait 2-3 years, very good, 91+
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1/14/2022 - vlzat wrote: 92 Points
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano
Full body, deep ruby to purple color. Intense, harmonies and complex aroma of black and blue ripe fruits, tobacco and flowers. Predominantly plummy palate with balsamic notes following by liquorice but juicy finish of good length. Impressive, rich and bold but well balanced. As well reveals wild berries’ acidity and fine grained, still young tannins. Food friendly, wall pairing spinach and basil ravioli with mozzarella. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Open three hours ahead. Drink now while young and next six/eight years, perhaps longer.
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1/9/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Day 2: Just moving to day 2 since this is never as good on day one with many notes indicating that. Lighter in style than previous bottles but still solid. Leather, raspberries, minerals and spice. Short to medium finish. Solid. 91 points
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12/31/2021 - Jcascio Likes this wine:
This one took a day to breath and open up a bit before I enjoyed it. Tasted like a cab.
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12/30/2021 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Feels pretty serious for the price, but not necessarily standout- at this stage. I definitely think it'll improve drastically with a little time, and there was some genuine elegance here, even though the whole package was a little shy and straightforward right now. No decant, but it improved a lot over the evening and others have reported amazing evolution over a few days!
Extremely reticent but also really pretty nose that unusually focuses on the fruit (for Rioja Reserva) while still integrating complex oak accents. Sort of a tight baked plum, black cherry, blackberry compote thing with gentle baking spices, beautiful allspice, vanilla, cinnamon, subtle but lifting the fruit up well. Lovely, just super shy and I feel like it'll be extremely expressive and balanced with a cellar nap.
Same goes for the palate. Pretty much the same flavor profile, with deep, spiced purply fruit, a touch of dried cherry, and excellent balance, showing more than enough acidic lift without ever feeling tart, and plenty of gentle little tannins waiting in the wings to facilitate light aging.
I might be overrating it for how it shows *now* but this is a very complete wine for $25, one that's perfectly enjoyable now and will also reward a little patience. Not as immediately attention-grabbing as others in the price range such as Viña Alberdi, but feels more about the fruit than the oak without feeling stunted, which I really appreciate.
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12/27/2021 - DeLuz wrote: 86 Points
Muted nose, dark cherries, tobacco.
This wine is ok but somewhat boring, second time trying it.
I much prefer LRA to this.
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12/22/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Softer than previous bottles featuring minerals, cherry blossoms, spice, dust and dried leaves. Solid but not as good as previous bottles. 88 points
Day 2: Consistent with the improvement on day 2 with previous bottles. Minerals, cherry, dust, dried leaves, tobacco and floral notes. Much improved and medium plus finish. 91 points
Day 3: When I open these I consume most of the bottle on day 2/3 knowing it show better. This is no exception. Sour cherries, dried leaves, tobacco, minerals, dust, floral and subtle wood. Excellent concentration and medium plus finish. 92 points
Day 3.5: Still singing. Darker fruits, minerals, tobacco, floral, dried leaves, wood, coffee beans and dust. Outstanding. 92+
Recommendation: This wine is consistently good and one of the better Spanish Values out there.
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12/20/2021 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow what a nice surprise for such a young Rioja! Sour cherry bing but with this fruitiness/ripeness that is very appealing. It works very good with the early acidity in this wine. Of course it mellows down and gets better and better with air in glass! Very good. The nose at times reminded me of a baby Vega #5
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12/17/2021 - Miwicz wrote:
A perfect wine for a Friday night when you’ve already drank a bottle and you want another bottle, but don’t want to open an expensive wine, so you open this wine.
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12/7/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Way too super young. Originally had tried to order the 04 but they were out of it so left with recent vintage. This is still a well made wine for a very reasonable price. It's a bigger style (of course, Rioja), but within that style done in a more refined way I'd say. Very drinkable.
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11/30/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Day 1: Fourth bottle in two months. Sour cherry, earth, spices, dust, wood and floral notes. Packs a ton of flavor and medium plus finish. Just really enjoyable young and continues to impress. 93 points
Day 2: Nice perfumed floral notes along with sour cherry, wood, earth, cigar, minerals, pepper and dust. Medium plus finish. 93-94.
Day 3: Might be the most interesting transformation of day 3 in quite some time. This is the first time I have tasted a Muga Reserva and got dill at this level of intensity. It is like I am drinking a La Rioja Alta 904. I like this transformation and it offers dill, wood, dust, earth, spice and red fruits. Wow what a wine! Buy a case and enjoy over the next decade. 94 points
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11/29/2021 - YackAttack213 Likes this wine: 90 Points
90 Nov 2021 👃 strawberry, cherry, plum, flowers - smells really nice. 👅 can't pin down the fruit, probably plum and blackberry, very high acid, fresh, oak, vanilla, leather, stems, dark chocolate and faint menthol in the lingering finish. Right up there in terms of best value wines I've had so far and best Reserva so far as well. No degradation the next day.
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11/29/2021 - Hojun-na-Wine Likes this wine:
Inky medium to dark ruby color, opaque.
Medium intense nose of yellow curry powder, dill, potting soil, leather, violet, black cherry.
On the palate black cherry, underripe plum.
Medium body, medium alcohol (higher side of medium), medium acidity, firm, grippy tannins. Nice length in the finish. Has the structure for aging.
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11/19/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Day 1: Red berries, spice, mint, mild wood and rustic elements. Very flavorful and having 2 bottles already this is drinking great on a pop and pour. Very enjoyable over the 3 day process and this will age nicely for five/eight years. Would not do long term aging on this one however. 92 points
Day 2: Red berries, earth, mild wood, spice, floral and stone. Rustic edge to the wine which is always something I enjoy about Rioja wines. 92 points
Day 2.5: Holly cow! In my lifetime I have never had two better 2.5 tastings of two wines. The 2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee Estate Seven Hills Vineyard was left in a glass all day and rocked but this Muga later in the day is maybe even better. I love the funk and this is the first time I have gotten it on this 2017 Muga. Delivers red currants, earth, minerals, exotic spices, dust, gravel and sweet floral notes. Medium plus and complex finish. This will probably be top 3 wine of the year especially considering the value element. 94 points
Day 3: Still great but not as good as day 2.5. Hit that at the peak moment. Blueberries, sour cherry, dust, minerals, earth and spices. Medium plus finish. 93 points
Recommendation: Buy! I need to get at least another case of this wine. Hard to tell how long to age them as they are so great with proper decant or day 2/3 right now. 2030 probably is safe and maybe beyond.
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11/12/2021 - il_diavolo wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit, oak influence. Does the job, not overly complex
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10/31/2021 - BStanton wrote:
Black cherry, clove, coffee cake, mesquite bbq. Nice interplay between tart and ripe fruit character
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10/30/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: Pretty intense bottle on the pop and pour which is to be expected. Spices, bright red currants, crushed rock, violets, wood and dust. Very enjoyable wine. Should mellow out throughout the day and on days 2 and 3. 91 points
Day 1.5: Wow what five hours will do. This is amazing. Mineral streak, cherry, raspberries, floral, spice, dust and mild wood. This is a top wine of the year for me under $30.00. 93+ points
Day 2: Solid on day 2 again. Nice combo of fruit and earth elements. There is a nice minerality streak on the finish. Medium plus and nice acidity. 92 points
Day 3: The concentration on day 3 is more intense which indicates this will age for 10 plus without breaking a sweat. Underbrush, dark cherries, blueberries, dust, wood, minerals, earth and exotic spices. Medium to long finish. Excellent. 93+ points
Day 4: Nice sour cherry, spice, wood, floral, dust and minerals. This held up strong on day 4 by just putting the cork back after each pour. Recommend more people try this approach. 91 points
Recommendation: This will improve with age and might be the best Muga Reserva produced in a long time.
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10/27/2021 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 10 hours. A wine with a ton of structure, and tannins that are not mouth-drying. To be drunk with food.
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10/17/2021 - Tpairing wrote: 91 Points
Plum and dark fruit with toast and wild mushrooms. A great painting with Greek chicken stew with potatoes.
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10/2/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: All young Muga Reserva's improve over time. Earth, spices, floral notes, coffee beans, minerals and red currants. Tight wine that should open up over the next few days. 90-92 points
Day 2: Better. Nice concentration featuring roasted chestnuts, earth, spice, floral, cherry, sour raspberries and minerals. Medium plus finish and delicious. Great value at $25.00. 91 points
Day 3: Hoping for even more improvement and got it! This the real deal and for those who don't like the wood/dill of some Rioja wines this one is for you! Raspberries, minerals, sour cherry, spice, mild wood note, roasted chestnuts and dried rose petals. Medium plus finish and complexity overload. Might be one of the better under $30 Spanish Wines in a long time. 93+ points
Day 4: A rare day 4 at 3 Day Wine Review headquarters. Amazing how good this is on day 4. Has not lost a step. 93 points
Recommendation: BUY IT!
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9/10/2021 - Maineiac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really smooth, served with paella
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9/1/2021 - Dominic Roy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose: Raspberries. Oak. Vanilla. Cherries. Dark chocolate. High aroma intensity.
Palate: Oak. Chocolate. Cherries. Raspberries. Vanilla. High wood tannins. Medium plus acidity. Dry. Full body. High flavour intensity.
Finish: Orange peel. Wood. Liquorice. Long finish.
Delicious.
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8/21/2021 - winepog wrote: 89 Points
Classic 89 wine. Checks a lot of boxes, but somehow missing some excitement to get over the hump.
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