Coming off 2010 vintage, you knew ‘11 would disappoint. One-off purchase on release in 2016, I basically lost this in my cellar. Muga usually outperforms the vintage and this is no exception. Old world style. Still powerful on day 2, even with just a vacuum seal. Generous cherry and red currant fruit, plenty of bric and herbal notes. Maybe a tiny bit of bricking, but with proper cellaring another 10 years should be no issue. Sorry to see you go, but you outperformed your price.
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Non-BX varieties from Mediterranean countries (at my home): med+ intensity red-ruby med- aromas and flavors intensity of ripe vivid red ripe cherries fruits, oak-vanilla, veggie spices, earth, tea leaves developing dry, high acidity, med tannins, med abv, med+ body, good complexity, rich red fruits flavors, pleasant spiciness, can drink now - suitable for further aging
20 hours later: still young and fresh requires further aging
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The wine was dark crimson but was clearly starting to brick as I poured it into the Riedel duck. It had the nose of a dark, primal mushroom forest floor. I was drawn in. Soft and supple on the tongue with just enough acidity to keep it fresh despite its obvious age. Stewed plums/prunes mixed with just a hint of nutmeg dark hints of passing fruit. Soft but present tannins. What a lovely wine. Sooo worth the wait. But don't wait longer, the time is now. Looking for more and younger Mugas to buy for the future
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This bottle was brought round by my brother. Rich, baked black fruit, chocolate and smoky aromas which follows through on the palate but with savoury, tapenade flavours.
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Blackcurrant and vanilla but fruit starting to fade a bit, leather and tobacco notes starting to come through. Quite dry with chalky tannins. Very nice wine to drink, good mouthfeel and well balanced.
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Bright ruby with aromas of American Oak, vanilla, black cherry, blackberry. The palate has lots of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry fruit with spices, black pepper,
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On opening there are immediate fruit aromas, and in the glass the Muga Reserva is a dark red with no signs of any bricking (observed by one reviewer). At first, it's quite tannic, but after an hour it softens out. What remains is velvet blanket of dark fruits. It could use a tad more acidity, but overall a very enjoyable Rioja Reserva from a quality maker. It should hold well over another 5 years.
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Very dark fruit, some aging but still quite youthful as this was a 375mL, smoked meat and rich earthy note to complement the dark berry fruit, dill, and slight leather and somewhat rough hewn tannin.
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Decant for sure, I know it's getting old.. But Edges are just starting to bleed some color from clear in the glass. And very very slight brickish color creeping into the deep purple/=dark garnet with backlight. Very tart upon opening.. Tartness is what I love about temprenillo, but it was too much. The second night/second half of bottle was balanced more, letting tannins and other flavors come out too. This bottle has some life left, but make sure to decant or look for younger. Or maybe more time in the bottle help this vintage out as it's not dead yet. Finally hold this wine another year or two or decant and give it a chance.
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This wine was much better than my last bottle when double decanted and served with rubbed and grilled flatiron steak. While a bit flat upon initial tasting, the fruit and acidity emerged after about 2 hours. Not one of the best vintages of Muga Reserva I have had (2007-2015) but much better than I feared from the bottle before this one.
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I panicked after reading reviews and just opened my last 2011 bottle that I had stored for 3 years— it was beautiful ruby with slight reflections of purple; blackberries maybe not at the front, but still had strength, tannins that were still strong, but had mellowed with cedar and leather; what a nice blend of flavors! Great drinking today and appeared to have plenty of life for more years in the future.
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Black cherry, menthol, tobacoco, smoke. The palate has ripe black cherry, very peppery and spicy mid palate, the tobacco notes are prominent too and nice savoury, balsamic finish. Tannins and acidity are still prominent so years of life ahead of it.
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Medium dark red. Intense, slightly roasted, slightly oxidized nose, berry fruit, smoke and roasted plum nose. I think some of the oxidation was from the barrel aging and some was from a too long opened bottle..
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I have been drinking Muga Reservas since 2006 and this is one of the better ones. Served with grilled chicken breasts, nose of fruit, earth, leather, and spice. Marked acidity, moderate tannins, with an excellent length and good finish. As a result of my experience with the Reservas, I have also been drinking the Muga Seleccion Especial and the Prado Enea's, both of which are exceptional wines and well worth searching out.
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Served with grilled NY strip steaks. Intense nose of spice, touch of wood, earth, and leather. Excellent mid-range and finish. A very good year for Muga Reservas.
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A: Deep garnet. High viscosity. N: Earth, smoke jammy black cherry, cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco, medium (+) intensity P: Aroma confirmed. Doug got the entire kitchen on the palate. 'vanilla, clove, FENNEL, ginger, nutmeg, Dill, coconut (I NEED TO GET BETTER AT SPOTTING THESE LAST TWO). Dry, medium (+) tannin, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) body and intensity with medium finish. INITIAL C: Its Earthy and so OW. I think the dill and coconut indicate american oak. American oak in the old world and i am at Rioja. 5-7 years old. Bottle Details: 14% alc, 65% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo, 10% Graciáno, aged 6 months in large vats, 30 months in small oak barrels and a year in bottle $40
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This is a touch rustic and savory on the nose, followed by a mid-weight palate of dried cherries, leather, and brewed Ceylon tea. A suggestion of walnuts appears in the long, slightly drying finish. This has years of good drinking ahead.
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Half bottle. Well drinking Rioja at its peak i believe. Somewhat hard tannins. Very dark with chocolate, tobacco, leather dominating. Good concentration.
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The nose is dark and concentrated, ripe cherry, dry oak, leather, tobacco, hint of vanilla. A clear rioja style
The taste of the wine is concentrated but not very big. Ripe cherry, very ripe dark plum, leather and cocoa. Vanilla feels harmlessly in the background. The wine is rather tannic but not aggressive but in all its plush it is quite soft and friendly, albeit unsurprising and kind of hollow.
The aftertaste is very oak orientated. Tobacco, leather, cocoa, vanilla and sour cherry.
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Deep ruby colour. Prominent aromas raspberry, strawberry and red cherry plus blackberry too, secondary aromas of vanilla, charred wood. There's pronounced flavours on the palate, high acidity and big, ripe tannins. The flavour intensity is prominent on the palate with blackberry and raspberry fruits and the charred wood and smoke that comes through. This wine can be drunk now but is still youthful and has all the structure to be a ninety plus wine in a few years.
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Dried rose and bay leaf aromas lead to strawberry sauce, dried blueberry and cinnamon flavors. Great acidity/fruit balance and full body with cedar notes on a lingering finish.
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Light body with the hallmarks of Rioja--vanilla and red fruit flavors with a dusty/tannic edge and some savory herb notes adding a bit of interest. It was very pleasant and enjoyable but not particularly memorable, just the thing to go with grilled pork on a nice summer evening.
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This was served at a friends birthday party on 7/4/16. It had a focused, expressive bouquet of black cherry, clove, sassafras, vanilla, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was tart and dry with flavors of black cherry, leather, clove, pepper and spice. 89+
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Just above average compare to good Riojas. Dark red color, medium after taste. Even after 1 hr decanted, still a bit null. Nose cherry and dry fig. Light tobacco, earthy and dill on ballade. A bit strong on tannins that unbalances the wine. Maybe other vintages perform better.
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Opaque sanguine turning ruby rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose shows ripe red berries on gamy meat, damp earth, wet iron, warm cardamom and maple. Wow, the 2011 is such a delight - powerful, aptly structured and densely-concentrated with a light velvety texture and gorgeous acidity. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, licorice, cola, Jamon Iberico, cloves, and smoke form the core. Finishes long, fleshy and mentholated with hints of vanilla, and orange peel. Absolutely gorgeous wine and quite approachable on its fifth year. Just needs time to evolve in the bottle and in the glass. The efforts to make this a modern-style Rioja are recognizable yet the Old World charm is very much intact. Drink now with a 15-minute decant until 2026. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. 92+
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This wine was bitty, new-world tasting with gaudy high oak and is not great to drink. It also had highish tannin. Unready and unpleasant to drink at the moment. Mavbe more aeration or 5 years laying down was necessary or both. Wouldnt buy this vintage again.
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More modern in style than any previous Muga bottling for this offering I can recall. A wave of sadness overtook me as my wife described this wine as 'kinda like a cali cab!' We both agreed that this year's bottling seems to be a bigger departure from the classic style than we've seen from Muga. Fruit forward, color appears overly extracted purple, alcohol brings some heat that might fade with age, light tannins. Overall, this wine is still quite good with typical rioja fruit but has that bulky sloppy crudeness of new world 'bold reds' that I seldom see with rioja tempranillos. In short, thicker, heavier and punchier than in previous vintages. We compared this to a 2003 vintage, which wasn't a special year. The two wines didn't even taste like they came from the same producer they were so different. The '03 had that light, acid driven elegance around an overripe cherry core that is typical of a classic rioja. Much better nose and much longer finish.
Ramat-Aviv Sextet meets for celebrating Yagil's 60th (Yagil's home): double decant 15 hours before the tasting dark opaque purple-black black cherries nose with earthy notes grip firm tannins, full bodied, rich, fruity-earthy flavours, structured, fairly complexed, quality Riojan aftertaste.
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Tasty sweet and sour cherry, (sour in a good way). Some pepper on the long finish, more old world than new. And I almost forgot the beautiful nose of red fruits and flowers. This will improve with time.
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This deep ruby, egg white-fined (but unfiltered) wine is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. It offers brambly aromas and flavors, accented by dark plum, anise, black pepper and loamy earth. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (14%) and with medium-weight, chewy tannins, it delivers excellent density on the mid-palate and closes with good length. Given its impressive depth and persistence, this is an over-achiever at its price point. It should drink well over the next 5-6 years. Drink now-2022.
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Very deep in color. Lots of sweet dark fruit on the palette. Perfect position between traditional and modern style. Good with food, but fine to drink on its own.
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Coravin tasting dark translucent red purple delicate red fruits earthy nose with leather notes medium bodied, soft firm tannins, good acidity level, well balanced, good harmony, lean structured, medium complexity, dried raisins, savoury flavours, tobacco, chocolate hints, soft aftertaste, medium length finish. good ageing potential of 8-15 years, at least.
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Something of a chemical or alcoholic nose. Quite light on the fruit on entry. Medium-bodied. Light on tannin. Noticeable acid. Nothing really wrong with this wine, but nothing really grabs me. As the wine warms a bit—I just pulled it from my cellar—components seem to be more integrated. Now, the fruit seems more subtle, not light. Tannin and acid seem to appropriately complement each other.
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Very young and should only improve over next five years. Lots of cherry and vanilla, but balanced by wonderful Rioja acidity. and the first two should soften and make the wine more complex. This is a food wine. 14%.
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Dark, purple tinges. Inviting nose of spice, blackberry. Ripe blackberry fruit, some acidity, pronounced but good tannins. Still young and will improve with time but a wine for food at the moment.
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At dinner at a very fancy restaurant. This needed some air and needs some time. Nice. Earth and fruit. This didn't wow either of us and wasn't up to the dinner. I'm a fan of Muga. 87
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A small pour at a tasting. At this stage, quite tannic. But there is good quality here, combined with my experience from older bottles makes me think this is a great value play.
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Pnp. Rustic, bretty nose. Fruit is dense, clean and cool on the attack, with notes of underripe plum, cranberry and dried cherry. Gritty, sweet tannin. Vibrant acidity. Lasting finish. Feels old world, but rich fruit screams crowd-pleaser. Different character than '09s an '10s (in particular less oak influence), but good in its own right.
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2011 - a less good vintage than 2010 or 2009? Not in this showing. Ever reliable & enjoyable Muga shows well here. Again, is there a better value wine on the planet?
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Approachable at opening and a decant isn't absolutely necessary-but an hour or two rounded out any last rough edges. Classic Rioja profile of bright cherry, leather, herbs, and vanilla-tinged espresso oak. Fairly lightweight on the palate with a medium finish. I don't buy much Rioja these days but can't recall seeing "UNFILTERED" displayed so prominently on a label. Guessing perhaps it was a light vintage and they needed all the identity they could squeeze in? It really was pleasant in this lighter style.
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VISUAL: Slight hazy, opaque. Deep ruby to a red rim. Sediment: [TG: some sediment - tartrate crystals]. Medium tears - slight staining.
NOSE: Elevated intensity, mostly clean. (TG agrees: medium plus intensity). Brettanomyces - wet dog 4-EP. Some manure. Deep dark fruit, ripe dried black cherry, Blackberry. Dark plum. Dried fruit. Slight oxidation. Evolving. [TG: this is quite evolved. Maybe close to "vinous"] Leather, chocolate. Dried rose poupourri. Oak: I don't pick up much. [TG: clear oak]
PALATE: Dry. Medium plus body. [TG disagrees - medium body] Alcohol is elevated. Elevated tannins. Chewy in nature. Elevated acidity. Oak: Some new, but presents to me as light baking spices, not overt. Well integrated. Fruit: dried sour craisins. Tobacco. Barnyard and earth. Dried meat/savory umami. Medium plus complexity. Medium plus length on the finish.
INITIAL CONCLUSION: Old world wine from a warm climate with some age. I was stumped, but Tim's reasoning was: Raisinated fruit. Brettanomyces. New Oak: American oak (dill and coconut) --> Rioja. American oak - I don’t smell it. Normally the color wouldn’t be this deep but it’s unfiltered. He says this is a really good example. Smells like bourbon (this I do get).
Actual: BODEGAS MUGA Reserva Unfiltered Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2011
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Good straightforward Tempranillo. There is a mix of modern and traditional here. More robust red and black fruits here, particularly blackberry, spice, leather, varnish. I suspect there is a mix of American and French oak since the finish doesn't have too sweet a vanilla quality. I was rather surprised by the clean purity of the fruit. Acidity is bright and the tannins are approachable. I look forward to seeing how this might develop.
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Have been wanting to try this wine since I have enjoyed every vintage of this Muga bottling since 2005. Somewhat fruit forward, but not overwhelming modern style. Initially a bit reserved with clean tempranillo fruit, wood, spices, and berries, good acidity and light tannins in the mid range and finish. This is an excellent Muga Rioja which should get better in a couple of years. Not sure if this is the same bottling reviewed by Guitierrez in the Wine Advocate (this bottling is unfiltered), but he gave his bottling of the Reserva a 91+.
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Medium-dark, medium-body. Light oak followed by big black cherry jam in the nose and mouth. Vanilla and pepper in a nice finish. More oak and black fruit after about an hour decant. Very nice now. Can't wait to see how this develops over time. I am becoming a Muga fan. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. yum yum.
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2/9/2024 - elevwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Coming off 2010 vintage, you knew ‘11 would disappoint. One-off purchase on release in 2016, I basically lost this in my cellar. Muga usually outperforms the vintage and this is no exception. Old world style. Still powerful on day 2, even with just a vacuum seal. Generous cherry and red currant fruit, plenty of bric and herbal notes. Maybe a tiny bit of bricking, but with proper cellaring another 10 years should be no issue. Sorry to see you go, but you outperformed your price.
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8/16/2023 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, lightly oaked. Fruit a little muted, but stood up to taco Tuesday. good food wine.
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5/2/2022 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Non-BX varieties from Mediterranean countries (at my home): med+ intensity red-ruby
med- aromas and flavors intensity of ripe vivid red ripe cherries fruits, oak-vanilla, veggie spices, earth, tea leaves
developing
dry, high acidity, med tannins, med abv, med+ body, good complexity, rich red fruits flavors, pleasant spiciness,
can drink now - suitable for further aging
20 hours later:
still young and fresh
requires further aging
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4/18/2022 - ccarter5181 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent overall and drinking very well now on short decant. Dark fruit with some subtle spices. Oak is well integrated, nicely balanced overall.
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3/11/2022 - Addeatum Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine was dark crimson but was clearly starting to brick as I poured it into the Riedel duck. It had the nose of a dark, primal mushroom forest floor. I was drawn in. Soft and supple on the tongue with just enough acidity to keep it fresh despite its obvious age. Stewed plums/prunes mixed with just a hint of nutmeg dark hints of passing fruit. Soft but present tannins. What a lovely wine. Sooo worth the wait. But don't wait longer, the time is now. Looking for more and younger Mugas to buy for the future
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12/28/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was brought round by my brother. Rich, baked black fruit, chocolate and smoky aromas which follows through on the palate but with savoury, tapenade flavours.
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11/19/2021 - Doc Malvern Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackcurrant and vanilla but fruit starting to fade a bit, leather and tobacco notes starting to come through. Quite dry with chalky tannins. Very nice wine to drink, good mouthfeel and well balanced.
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1/16/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sweet black fruit with chocolate and sweet spices which follows through on the palate. There’s a hint of TCA with this bottle but still enjoyable.
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11/28/2020 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistent with what this wine tasted like in April. Black fruits and spices with a depth of flavour which makes for a long finish. Excellent.
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11/25/2020 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still ripping tannins.
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8/25/2020 - NateR Likes this wine: 89 Points
A dark wine with notes of mushrooms and cork. Not my favorite combination of flavors, and somewhat unusual, but not inherently bad by any means.
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8/24/2020 - cweiss wrote:
From 375. Lovely fruit and wood nose. Oak certainly present but not overwhelming. Drinks well now, could evolve well over a few years.
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8/24/2020 - alexc wrote: 92 Points
delicious when decanted
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6/29/2020 - Sid G Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another year and a half of aging only made it better. What a Rioja is supposed to be.
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5/16/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
Dark red fruit, cherry. American oak. Some earthy flavors, but still mostly primary. Soft tannins, chewy finish.
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4/4/2020 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bright ruby with aromas of American Oak, vanilla, black cherry, blackberry. The palate has lots of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry fruit with spices, black pepper,
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2/20/2020 - guzmana Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful Rioja in a traditional style with great balance.
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2/14/2020 - j30 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very fruity and approachable, balanced.
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1/27/2020 - ChristP Likes this wine: 90 Points
On opening there are immediate fruit aromas, and in the glass the Muga Reserva is a dark red with no signs of any bricking (observed by one reviewer). At first, it's quite tannic, but after an hour it softens out. What remains is velvet blanket of dark fruits. It could use a tad more acidity, but overall a very enjoyable Rioja Reserva from a quality maker. It should hold well over another 5 years.
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9/29/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:
Very dark fruit, some aging but still quite youthful as this was a 375mL, smoked meat and rich earthy note to complement the dark berry fruit, dill, and slight leather and somewhat rough hewn tannin.
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9/28/2019 - djpo wrote: 89 Points
Anice combination of new and old world, leaning old with a bit of mustiness ricocheting with fruit.
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9/14/2019 - Pop somm Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decant for sure, I know it's getting old.. But
Edges are just starting to bleed some color from clear in the glass.
And very very slight brickish color creeping into the deep purple/=dark garnet with backlight.
Very tart upon opening.. Tartness is what I love about temprenillo, but it was too much. The second night/second half of bottle was balanced more, letting tannins and other flavors come out too.
This bottle has some life left, but make sure to decant or look for younger.
Or maybe more time in the bottle help this vintage out as it's not dead yet.
Finally hold this wine another year or two or decant and give it a chance.
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7/21/2019 - Ken332 wrote: 89 Points
This wine was much better than my last bottle when double decanted and served with rubbed and grilled flatiron steak. While a bit flat upon initial tasting, the fruit and acidity emerged after about 2 hours. Not one of the best vintages of Muga Reserva I have had (2007-2015) but much better than I feared from the bottle before this one.
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7/19/2019 - Wine W-eye-z Likes this wine: 92 Points
I panicked after reading reviews and just opened my last 2011 bottle that I had stored for 3 years— it was beautiful ruby with slight reflections of purple; blackberries maybe not at the front, but still had strength, tannins that were still strong, but had mellowed with cedar and leather; what a nice blend of flavors! Great drinking today and appeared to have plenty of life for more years in the future.
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6/11/2019 - Ken332 wrote:
This bottle was oxidized with browning on the rim, loss of fruit, and relatively flat taste. Not rated. Will try another bottle from the case.
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12/23/2018 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black cherry, menthol, tobacoco, smoke. The palate has ripe black cherry, very peppery and spicy mid palate, the tobacco notes are prominent too and nice savoury, balsamic finish. Tannins and acidity are still prominent so years of life ahead of it.
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12/12/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 89 Points
Medium dark red. Intense, slightly roasted, slightly oxidized nose, berry fruit, smoke and roasted plum nose. I think some of the oxidation was from the barrel aging and some was from a too long opened bottle..
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6/30/2018 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have been drinking Muga Reservas since 2006 and this is one of the better ones. Served with grilled chicken breasts, nose of fruit, earth, leather, and spice. Marked acidity, moderate tannins, with an excellent length and good finish. As a result of my experience with the Reservas, I have also been drinking the Muga Seleccion Especial and the Prado Enea's, both of which are exceptional wines and well worth searching out.
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2/12/2018 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served with grilled NY strip steaks. Intense nose of spice, touch of wood, earth, and leather. Excellent mid-range and finish. A very good year for Muga Reservas.
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2/11/2018 - Heynetty wrote:
Advanced Blind Tasting with David Glancy MS at the San Fran Wine School; 2/10/2018-2/11/2018: Tasted Blind
A: Deep garnet. High viscosity.
N: Earth, smoke jammy black cherry, cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco, medium (+) intensity
P: Aroma confirmed. Doug got the entire kitchen on the palate. 'vanilla, clove, FENNEL, ginger, nutmeg, Dill, coconut (I NEED TO GET BETTER AT SPOTTING THESE LAST TWO). Dry, medium (+) tannin, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) body and intensity with medium finish.
INITIAL C: Its Earthy and so OW. I think the dill and coconut indicate american oak. American oak in the old world and i am at Rioja. 5-7 years old.
Bottle Details: 14% alc, 65% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo, 10% Graciáno, aged 6 months in large vats, 30 months in small oak barrels and a year in bottle $40
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1/7/2018 - Sid G Likes this wine: 90 Points
A beautifully balanced Rioja. Smooth texture, nice bouquet. Firm structure without excess tannin. Moderate body. Dark fruit flavors.
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12/29/2017 - Breaktheory Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good but more medium bodied than I was hoping for - not fruity and a bit tannic - tobacco leather and game
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12/25/2017 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
This is a touch rustic and savory on the nose, followed by a mid-weight palate of dried cherries, leather, and brewed Ceylon tea. A suggestion of walnuts appears in the long, slightly drying finish. This has years of good drinking ahead.
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12/1/2017 - Tartiflette wrote: 87 Points
Half bottle. Well drinking Rioja at its peak i believe. Somewhat hard tannins. Very dark with chocolate, tobacco, leather dominating. Good concentration.
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5/6/2017 - Thumper88 Likes this wine: 88 Points
$18 Very nice everyday drinking wine. Preferred Muga Reserva Seleccion Especial better ($37) but very nice
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5/5/2017 - ews3 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at large walkaround tasting. nice sour red cherry, leather, cigar smoke, a bit of rose petal. nice.
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4/23/2017 - Jonezky wrote: 87 Points
The nose is dark and concentrated, ripe cherry, dry oak, leather, tobacco, hint of vanilla. A clear rioja style
The taste of the wine is concentrated but not very big. Ripe cherry, very ripe dark plum, leather and cocoa. Vanilla feels harmlessly in the background. The wine is rather tannic but not aggressive but in all its plush it is quite soft and friendly, albeit unsurprising and kind of hollow.
The aftertaste is very oak orientated. Tobacco, leather, cocoa, vanilla and sour cherry.
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3/10/2017 - guy12 wrote: 87 Points
Still youthful but opened out over the evening lovely, great qpr
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2/2/2017 - LEEJV123 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Medium light, angular
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1/20/2017 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep ruby colour. Prominent aromas raspberry, strawberry and red cherry plus blackberry too, secondary aromas of vanilla, charred wood. There's pronounced flavours on the palate, high acidity and big, ripe tannins. The flavour intensity is prominent on the palate with blackberry and raspberry fruits and the charred wood and smoke that comes through. This wine can be drunk now but is still youthful and has all the structure to be a ninety plus wine in a few years.
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1/12/2017 - Thumper88 wrote: 90 Points
90 for $25 Similar in color and bouquet to sangiovese (non aged), medium spice finish
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11/14/2016 - deekmon wrote: 90 Points
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 20% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. Delicious.
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10/9/2016 - mytruelove27 Likes this wine: 90 Points
We always like this wine - we generally pair it with homemade paella (like we are tonight) - have been to their winery in Spain which is also nice
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10/2/2016 - iDrum4Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dried rose and bay leaf aromas lead to strawberry sauce, dried blueberry and cinnamon flavors. Great acidity/fruit balance and full body with cedar notes on a lingering finish.
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9/9/2016 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Finely chiseled sour cherry, chocolate, vanilla, savoury sandalwood. Sweet well integrated tannins. Good value
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8/14/2016 - Mark3548 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light body with the hallmarks of Rioja--vanilla and red fruit flavors with a dusty/tannic edge and some savory herb notes adding a bit of interest. It was very pleasant and enjoyable but not particularly memorable, just the thing to go with grilled pork on a nice summer evening.
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8/14/2016 - TGRLU wrote: 90 Points
Der Wein sollte noch einige Jahre reifen, dann wird es ein toller Wein. Braucht aktuell mindestens 60min um sich zu entfalten.
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7/4/2016 - garambler Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was served at a friends birthday party on 7/4/16. It had a focused, expressive bouquet of black cherry, clove, sassafras, vanilla, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was tart and dry with flavors of black cherry, leather, clove, pepper and spice. 89+
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6/14/2016 - Smksmk Likes this wine: 88 Points
Lite to medium weight, bright sweet/sour cherry, medium tannin, bit of earth/tobacco/ash, currant. Hints of clove, vanilla and pepper.
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6/14/2016 - Smksmk Likes this wine: 88 Points
Lite to medium weight, bright sweet/sour cherry, medium tannin, bit of earth/tobacco/ash, currant
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5/30/2016 - Xpis7os wrote: 85 Points
Just above average compare to good Riojas. Dark red color, medium after taste. Even after 1 hr decanted, still a bit null. Nose cherry and dry fig. Light tobacco, earthy and dill on ballade. A bit strong on tannins that unbalances the wine. Maybe other vintages perform better.
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5/27/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
Opaque sanguine turning ruby rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose shows ripe red berries on gamy meat, damp earth, wet iron, warm cardamom and maple. Wow, the 2011 is such a delight - powerful, aptly structured and densely-concentrated with a light velvety texture and gorgeous acidity. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, licorice, cola, Jamon Iberico, cloves, and smoke form the core. Finishes long, fleshy and mentholated with hints of vanilla, and orange peel. Absolutely gorgeous wine and quite approachable on its fifth year. Just needs time to evolve in the bottle and in the glass. The efforts to make this a modern-style Rioja are recognizable yet the Old World charm is very much intact. Drink now with a 15-minute decant until 2026. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. 92+
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5/20/2016 - macaujames Does not like this wine: 87 Points
This wine was bitty, new-world tasting with gaudy high oak and is not great to drink. It also had highish tannin. Unready and unpleasant to drink at the moment. Mavbe more aeration or 5 years laying down was necessary or both. Wouldnt buy this vintage again.
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4/9/2016 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a baby, I gave it a 3 hour decant. This is a bit heavier than vintages past.
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4/6/2016 - fvollman wrote: 66 Points
High acid, med body, mild oak, heavy fruit on finish.
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4/2/2016 - footloosiety Likes this wine:
great wine. similar in quality for value and general appeal in my opinion to an italian appassimento wine.
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3/28/2016 - cristian_m wrote: 86 Points
More modern in style than any previous Muga bottling for this offering I can recall. A wave of sadness overtook me as my wife described this wine as 'kinda like a cali cab!' We both agreed that this year's bottling seems to be a bigger departure from the classic style than we've seen from Muga. Fruit forward, color appears overly extracted purple, alcohol brings some heat that might fade with age, light tannins. Overall, this wine is still quite good with typical rioja fruit but has that bulky sloppy crudeness of new world 'bold reds' that I seldom see with rioja tempranillos. In short, thicker, heavier and punchier than in previous vintages.
We compared this to a 2003 vintage, which wasn't a special year. The two wines didn't even taste like they came from the same producer they were so different. The '03 had that light, acid driven elegance around an overripe cherry core that is typical of a classic rioja. Much better nose and much longer finish.
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3/26/2016 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
Ramat-Aviv Sextet meets for celebrating Yagil's 60th (Yagil's home): double decant 15 hours before the tasting
dark opaque purple-black
black cherries nose with earthy notes
grip firm tannins, full bodied, rich, fruity-earthy flavours, structured, fairly complexed, quality Riojan aftertaste.
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3/8/2016 - tmiusa Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasty sweet and sour cherry, (sour in a good way). Some pepper on the long finish, more old world than new. And I almost forgot the beautiful nose of red fruits and flowers. This will improve with time.
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3/7/2016 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 90 Points
This deep ruby, egg white-fined (but unfiltered) wine is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. It offers brambly aromas and flavors, accented by dark plum, anise, black pepper and loamy earth. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (14%) and with medium-weight, chewy tannins, it delivers excellent density on the mid-palate and closes with good length. Given its impressive depth and persistence, this is an over-achiever at its price point. It should drink well over the next 5-6 years. Drink now-2022.
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2/26/2016 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very deep in color. Lots of sweet dark fruit on the palette. Perfect position between traditional and modern style. Good with food, but fine to drink on its own.
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2/9/2016 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
Coravin tasting
dark translucent red purple
delicate red fruits earthy nose with leather notes
medium bodied, soft firm tannins, good acidity level, well balanced, good harmony, lean structured, medium complexity, dried raisins, savoury flavours, tobacco, chocolate hints, soft aftertaste, medium length finish.
good ageing potential of 8-15 years, at least.
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1/25/2016 - EMark wrote:
Something of a chemical or alcoholic nose. Quite light on the fruit on entry. Medium-bodied. Light on tannin. Noticeable acid. Nothing really wrong with this wine, but nothing really grabs me. As the wine warms a bit—I just pulled it from my cellar—components seem to be more integrated. Now, the fruit seems more subtle, not light. Tannin and acid seem to appropriately complement each other.
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1/12/2016 - Wine Curmudgeon Likes this wine:
Very young and should only improve over next five years. Lots of cherry and vanilla, but balanced by wonderful Rioja acidity. and the first two should soften and make the wine more complex. This is a food wine. 14%.
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1/5/2016 - Alemany wrote: 90 Points
always amazing wine. better unfiltered....
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12/19/2015 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark, purple tinges. Inviting nose of spice, blackberry. Ripe blackberry fruit, some acidity, pronounced but good tannins. Still young and will improve with time but a wine for food at the moment.
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12/12/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Sunfish Cellars Holiday Tasting (Sunfish Cellars, St. Paul, MN): Small pour. Ripe high toned fruit, cherry, very good, some fresh wood influence, attractive. 90+pts.
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12/12/2015 - swade wrote: 87 Points
At dinner at a very fancy restaurant. This needed some air and needs some time. Nice. Earth and fruit. This didn't wow either of us and wasn't up to the dinner. I'm a fan of Muga. 87
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11/5/2015 - bitdrerik wrote: 91 Points
Útgáfuteiti hjá Steingrími Sigurgeirssyni, í tilefni af útgáfu vínbókar. (Bergsson, Sjávarklasanum.): Muga er alveg einstaklega góður framleiðandi. Þetta vín var mörgum klössum fyrir ofan Cune af sömu árgerð. Flott jafnvægi, passleg sýra, nett eik. Þetta vín hefur þetta allt. Kostar reyndar 1.000 kr. meíra en Cune.
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10/23/2015 - galewskj wrote:
A small pour at a tasting. At this stage, quite tannic. But there is good quality here, combined with my experience from older bottles makes me think this is a great value play.
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10/12/2015 - SimonG wrote: 88 Points
BBR Rioja & Catalonia (One Great George Street, London): Dense and surprisingly dark. A touch dry on the finish at the moment. *(**)
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10/4/2015 - Bob Sacamano wrote: 90 Points
Pnp. Rustic, bretty nose. Fruit is dense, clean and cool on the attack, with notes of underripe plum, cranberry and dried cherry. Gritty, sweet tannin. Vibrant acidity. Lasting finish. Feels old world, but rich fruit screams crowd-pleaser. Different character than '09s an '10s (in particular less oak influence), but good in its own right.
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10/4/2015 - Jeffreyshen wrote: 84 Points
Light oak, woody, tobacco and tea.
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10/1/2015 - pmgsmith wrote: 89 Points
2011 - a less good vintage than 2010 or 2009? Not in this showing. Ever reliable & enjoyable Muga shows well here. Again, is there a better value wine on the planet?
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9/12/2015 - terroir junkie wrote: 88 Points
Approachable at opening and a decant isn't absolutely necessary-but an hour or two rounded out any last rough edges. Classic Rioja profile of bright cherry, leather, herbs, and vanilla-tinged espresso oak. Fairly lightweight on the palate with a medium finish. I don't buy much Rioja these days but can't recall seeing "UNFILTERED" displayed so prominently on a label. Guessing perhaps it was a light vintage and they needed all the identity they could squeeze in? It really was pleasant in this lighter style.
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8/17/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
Deductive Tasting Class with Tim Gaiser (Napa Valley Wine Academy): Red 3 - Blind
VISUAL:
Slight hazy, opaque.
Deep ruby to a red rim.
Sediment: [TG: some sediment - tartrate crystals].
Medium tears - slight staining.
NOSE:
Elevated intensity, mostly clean. (TG agrees: medium plus intensity).
Brettanomyces - wet dog 4-EP. Some manure.
Deep dark fruit, ripe dried black cherry, Blackberry. Dark plum. Dried fruit.
Slight oxidation.
Evolving. [TG: this is quite evolved. Maybe close to "vinous"]
Leather, chocolate.
Dried rose poupourri.
Oak: I don't pick up much. [TG: clear oak]
PALATE:
Dry.
Medium plus body. [TG disagrees - medium body]
Alcohol is elevated.
Elevated tannins. Chewy in nature.
Elevated acidity.
Oak: Some new, but presents to me as light baking spices, not overt. Well integrated.
Fruit: dried sour craisins. Tobacco.
Barnyard and earth.
Dried meat/savory umami.
Medium plus complexity.
Medium plus length on the finish.
INITIAL CONCLUSION:
Old world wine from a warm climate with some age.
I was stumped, but Tim's reasoning was:
Raisinated fruit.
Brettanomyces.
New Oak: American oak (dill and coconut)
--> Rioja.
American oak - I don’t smell it.
Normally the color wouldn’t be this deep but it’s unfiltered.
He says this is a really good example.
Smells like bourbon (this I do get).
Actual:
BODEGAS MUGA
Reserva Unfiltered Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2011
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6/19/2015 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good straightforward Tempranillo. There is a mix of modern and traditional here. More robust red and black fruits here, particularly blackberry, spice, leather, varnish. I suspect there is a mix of American and French oak since the finish doesn't have too sweet a vanilla quality. I was rather surprised by the clean purity of the fruit. Acidity is bright and the tannins are approachable. I look forward to seeing how this might develop.
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6/11/2015 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Have been wanting to try this wine since I have enjoyed every vintage of this Muga bottling since 2005. Somewhat fruit forward, but not overwhelming modern style. Initially a bit reserved with clean tempranillo fruit, wood, spices, and berries, good acidity and light tannins in the mid range and finish. This is an excellent Muga Rioja which should get better in a couple of years. Not sure if this is the same bottling reviewed by Guitierrez in the Wine Advocate (this bottling is unfiltered), but he gave his bottling of the Reserva a 91+.
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5/13/2015 - deekmon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium-dark, medium-body. Light oak followed by big black cherry jam in the nose and mouth. Vanilla and pepper in a nice finish. More oak and black fruit after about an hour decant. Very nice now. Can't wait to see how this develops over time. I am becoming a Muga fan. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. yum yum.
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