Community Tasting Notes 10

• ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:

  July 29, 2018 - At tasting. Brief note. This reminds me of 60's Saint Julien a little bit with notes of worn leather, cedar, cloves, roses and gravel. Soft, plummy, spicy with plenty of dry extract on the midpalate. Long finish is immensely pleasurable and complex. A real treat to try.

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• Sotto325 wrote: 93 points

  November 20, 2014 - A pleasure. Another superb old Rioja showing all of the finest that aged Tempranillo can: pure dark, wet oak, smoke, leather, sappy tawny colored fruit, a slightly sweeter dark cherry and that elegant aging brick color that signifies old but alive wine. Not as complex as the 1976 or 1970 ex- cellars release, but these last two 1981s, which came together in the last year, demonstrate the fine wine making at Muga. Drink up or lose the moment.

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• Sotto325 wrote: 91 points

  March 22, 2014 - A nice surprise-- the third 81 from the ex-cellars releases a few years ago. While still not nearly as subtle or complex as the the 1970 or 1976, and not close to worth its price, this bottle was much better than the prior two. A good fruit center, temrpanillo the old style way, with fading bricked color, a center of medium dark cherry surrounded by clay tones, and a bit of leather and earth. It stood up well over 45 minutes and does not need decanting.

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• jim dixon wrote: 93 points

  September 13, 2012 - Really terrific and seemed like it could last another ten years easy. Very complex nose of leather, cigar store, spices.

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• Sotto325 wrote: 85 points

  August 4, 2011 - Muga is one of the great and oldest Rioja houses. WIth friends ,we bought several of the 2010 cellar release of the 70,76,80 and 81.The 70 was wonderful, the 76 very nice. This wine shoudl not have been included. Two bottles thus far show a tired, almost dying wine, typical of the pre 96 riojas which were potentially but not usually age worthy., The characteristic tawny color, smokey, cherry, peat like nose and smooth,somewhat sweet cherry center surrounded by the clay smoke ring were there , but not with enough fruit to carry the weight of a $200 price tag. Interesting yes, but at best that.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 1981
• Type Red
• Producer Bodegas Muga
• Varietal Tempranillo Blend
• Designation Gran Reserva
• Vineyard n/a
• Country Spain
• Region La Rioja
• SubRegion La Rioja Alta
• Appellation Rioja

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 19 (45%)
• Consumed 23 (55%)

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