External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001
2000
1999
1998
1996
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2022 and 2031 (based on 42 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 124 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by grappagunnar on 4/13/2024 & rated 91 points: Nice enough after 1,5 hours in the decanter.
Served blind and none identified it as Rioja. Most said Douro because it had a slight port tone. Others guessed Toro.
Anyway we enjoyed it but I don't think I will buy it again since all preferred the Vina Ardanza 2009 served against it.
Have one bottle left that will stay in the cellar for at least 2-3 years. (779 views) | | | Tasted by nickcockingmusic on 1/10/2024 & rated 90 points: Fantastic modern Rioja, still had enough old school vanilla to be recognizable as a Rioja (1585 views) | | | Tasted by Bearesentials on 12/28/2023 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit, Oak, vanilla, earthy, drinking nicely right now. (1270 views) | | | Tasted by mvande21 on 12/17/2023 & rated 92 points: Three hour decant. Somewhat muted nose. Cassis, red berries, leather and tobacco. Medium body, balanced and smooth. Missing some depth/complexity, though very good with rounded tannins and a medium length finish. Paired well with a roasted chicken and herbs. (1398 views) | | | Tasted by Takao on 6/9/2023 & rated 93 points: Deep ruby color. Developing, med (+) aromas of dark chocolate, coffee nibs, ripe red and dark plums, black berry, tobacco, dark cherry, sour cherry, rosemary. Dry, full body, med(+) tannins, high acidity, high alcohol, long finish. This is fuller in body and a lot more oak in the spectrum of Rioja Reserva. Primary aromas are dark fruited and so ripe (kind of jammy) I even thought this might be an off dry red for a moment. I think if you like Napa cab then this is what you want to drink from the old world.
The wine is very lovely but it still has a lot of oak, and tannins are getting integrated so I’d say this is very likely to improve in the next 5 years.
Fantastic pairing with sautéed mushroom with garlic and olive oil, but I’d expect this would be great with a ribeye steak in American style (crust, butter, garlic and rosemary). It was also decent with cheese-rich zucchini risotto and just okay with braised lamb and olive in white wines.
Day 4: A lot of cassis and chocolate with some strawberry finish. Still interesting and tasty but it probably has lost some complexity, which is reasonable on the day 4. (1863 views) | | | Tasted by Asull2k on 2/8/2023 & rated 91 points: Decanted a portion and slow ox’d the rest, which opened by day 2. Dense and dark ruby and purple with slight garnet color on the rim. Stewed raspberry and barnyard funk on the nose. A little pepper, lots of leather, earth, tart cherry and hint of black olive on the finish which lasts around 35-40 sec. Still lots of tannins so I think has room to age for years. Not so sure I could distinguish this from a lightly aged cabernet sauvignon at this time. Pairs fairly well with meats and roasted chicken. (3353 views) | | | Tasted by #1 or #2? on 1/21/2023 & rated 91 points: dark but transparent in appearance. nose is v fragrant, a mélange of dark berry fruit with savoury meaty jus, earth, smoke, lavender and a whiff of alcohol. with 90mins of air, entry is smooth and silky, some good acidity, flavours of red berries and vanilla. fair tannic grip on the back end and a notable bitterness that hangs on the close. v nice with ribeye. suspect this may improve with another year or two on its side. (2695 views) | | | Tasted by Texas Oenophile on 1/6/2023 & rated 93 points: Just one of those wines that pairs with anything (well… anything land based). Opened along with a Malbec with beef and chicken fajitas. Not a high-end subtle bordeaux, but a very enjoyable rioja that pairs with almost any chicken/pork/beef dish. (3196 views) | | | Tasted by RVC_Wine on 11/20/2022 & rated 92 points: Vibrant and fresh, a ton of life! Meaty earthy but zesty raspberry and garrigue keeps the focus narrow. Lovely. (3160 views) | | | Tasted by ares77 on 9/3/2022 & rated 93 points: Deep ruby almost opaque. Lovely savory old school Rioja, bright strawberry, raspberry, earth and tart cherry, very minor oak which was more evident on day 1 but almost unnoticeable on day 2. Medium grain tannins, long finish. Very enjoyable. (3448 views) | | | Tasted by WilD on 6/19/2022 & rated 91 points: Young rioja. Needs to be decanted. Nice wine. (2975 views) | | | Tasted by Srabkin90 on 6/18/2022 & rated 89 points: Med intensity nose of oak, leather, and dark fruit.
Initial sips were very pronounced leather, plum, smoke and tree bark. As this opened up, some vanilla came through.
Heavy tannins on this one. Mouthwatering acidity, med+ bodied, and nice finish of vanilla and smoke. This was my least favorite of the two Rioja's sampled, but I will be buying several more Spanish wines moving forward.
Solid wine for the price. Fantastic. (2724 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/8/2022 & rated 92 points: Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Rioja (By RW and PB): Very ripe red and dark berry fruits in the bouquet, herbs and spices and some vanilla. On the palate a full bodied wine with the same fruits, herbs and spices, some yoghurt, chocolate, coffee and good acidity. Mild tannin. Wait at least until 2025, so the wine can lose some of its baby fat and become more complex. 91 – 92+ for now. (3215 views) | | | Tasted by MacX on 4/15/2022 & rated 88 points: Good rigid Rioja! (3328 views) | | | Tasted by Zeitoun on 2/6/2022 & rated 93 points: Excellent wine for price. Lovely notes of berries and earth. Full body, fine tannin and remarkably balanced. Typical Rioja flavors with a modern tilt towards fruit vs oak. I believe it will evolve nicely in the next few years and be at a higher level. (3649 views) | | | Tasted by Oberhau on 1/28/2022 & rated 92 points: Perfectly balanced, full-bodied wine. Nose is complex yet somewhat muted with plenty of fruit integrated with fresh forest floor. Taste is smooth with vanilla notes and silky tannins. Definitely in an elevated category. (3120 views) | | | Tasted by Life At Your Leisure 🍷 on 1/21/2022 & rated 94 points: Shimmering dense ruby color turning brick orange at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off smoky notes of dark red berries with hints of cedar and spice. The palate is full-bodied with vibrant acidity and scrumptious tannins that balance the ripe dark cherry and plum fruit. The mid palate is structured enough to lead through secondary flavors of toasted hazelnut, sweet vanilla and cola all the way to a long, savory finish. Drink now and enjoy the chewy tannins or decant for 30 minutes, whichever way you please until 2030. (3357 views) | | | Tasted by randyjc on 1/13/2022 & rated 92 points: Quite lovely. Dark berries, a cherry sweetness top note that runs all the way to the finish. a gravelly streak that asserts itself mid-palate. The wine got better and better over 3 days and I am looking forward to what it's like tonight on day 4. Impressive and at an attractive price point. (3611 views) | | | Tasted by EricLi on 12/10/2021 & rated 91 points: Very good. Overwhelmed my chicken under the brick. Should go well with steak though. (3359 views) | | | Tasted by Weiner on 11/26/2021 & rated 92 points: Deeper, darker, heavier Rioja. (2901 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 11/8/2021 & rated 92 points: Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Some random wines. (@ RW): Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and vanilla. On the palate a firm wine with dark berries, chocolate, good acidity and a firm amount of bitterness. Wait a few more years. 92+ (2767 views) | | | Tasted by Stephen Rash on 11/6/2021: Aromas of blackberry, charcoal, black licorice, and hints of dill on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, black cherry and fresh floral notes on the palate changing to dried flowers (potpourri) on the finish. Medium(+) in body and structured tannins. Good Rioja, but not what I expected. (3060 views) | | | Tasted by ME_DOC on 10/31/2021 & rated 91 points: Not much to add to the note below from Echinosum, but my rating is a bit higher: Very nice mash up of classic rioja notes with modern attitudes. Deep dark red with lots of oak but really nicely balanced by the fruit. Fun to drink now, so why wait...? Give it a short decant of approx. 30 min. Natural, high quality cork. (3138 views) | | | Tasted by Echinosum on 10/4/2021 & rated 89 points: Very clever wine-making, to make an intense, deep reserva that is such a crowd-pleaser for immediate consumption. The fruit is very primary, but not at all jammy or over-sweet. The oak is very prominent, but the target market like their Rioja with very evident oak. There is a lot of tannin, but well balanced in to make it a very drinkable wine now, and you don't even need food, though it goes very well with food.
What will it do in the long run? I don't think they care, because very little of it will be kept. And if it is typical Rioja it may well go into a dumb phase. And then many people will drink it up quick thinking it is going bad. Whereas serious reservas need 12, or 15, yrs to come around.
So a brilliant commercial wine. Delicious to drink. More concentrated, balanced and complete than cheap reservas. But lacking in the complexity and detail of a serious mature reserva, at least at this stage. (3663 views) | | | Tasted by eagle4443 on 9/19/2021 & rated 90 points: Really good with a nice potential but too young and Need Time to open (3317 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Bodegas Muga Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)Tempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.Selección Especial*Wine that showcase the varietal characteristic
*Quality wines to drink on any occasion
Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoLa Rioja Alta Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
Mp on weinlagen-info
|
|
