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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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+
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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.
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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.
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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.
This is a beast and could definitely use a few more years. Red and black fruits up front are quickly deflected by a wall of tannins. Tar notes galore, with hints of espresso and oak lingering in the background.
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Believe this will continue to improve over the next few years - the tannins are still a little heavy after a 30 min decant. Give it a bit more. Deep purple with some garnet hue. Med- meniscus and high viscosity. Oak was primary on the nose - it almost smelled like a cab early on, with cocoa and vanilla. Red fruit really comes through on the palate for me, despite JS saying black fruit. To me - the grenache really shows itself early on. Cherry and raspberry are bright, mix with the oak - including baking spices - and the finish goes on. Tannins are definitely ahead of the acid at this point, but they lessen as the bottle airs.
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opaque, nice woody and cherry aromatics, structured, balanced, medium bodied with medium acid, flavors of dark berry, tree bark, dried cherry and coffee bean, tannic, should benefit from patience in the cellar, stiff through the mid-palate although the edges are forgiving, substantial Spanish juice in general, very nice
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Bu sur plusieurs jours, carafés de nombreuses heures. Acidité élevée, tanins asséchants, un peu court pour le moment et du beau fruit mais un peu masqué par l'acidité et les tanins. À revoir dans 5 ans, pourra durer encore pas mal plus.
Pretty decent for the price. Definitely not as good as the Prado Enea, but I liked it and I did not feel as much tannins as the others described here. It remains a traditional style Rioja with some oak as I personally like Riojas, so it can age a little bit.
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Not ready for prime time, needs at least another year to develop. Was massively tannic upon opening and even after letting it sit overnight it still wasn’t ready. Drank my second bottle recently an the improvement was drastic.
Very good big Rioja. French oak abounds in this Muga Reserva, rather than American. Rich dark red fruits (thanks to low-yielding select old vines) and savory aromas. Full-bodied with plenty of acidity to carry this wine for many years to come. Recommend at least 5 more years as the tannins need some time to round out.
Opened too early, I think - it needed at least 2-3 hours to open in the glass (and also, frankly, it needed a few more years to mature). Nevertheless, it was full of dark fruit, mainly cherry. Smooth and attractive despite its youth but with the soft tannic structure and acidity to give it a long future. It improved a great deal in the glass. Spice began to develop but the soft tannins needed food at this stage. However, over a few hours, the wine began to show its complexity and potential. It will probably be great in 5-10+ years and will last well beyond that. 91 at this stage but this will rise.
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Always one to keep my word, or mostly, I bring you the FIRST Dad & Daughter review of “Hi, it’s Don 4 Wine” blog.
During my visit to Arizona, one aspect that everyone knew would be of keen interest and highly anticipated (other than my arrival), was that great food and great wine would be on the menu. In all honesty, the first meal that I prepared came out overdone and somewhat boring, at least to my standards. Shockingly it was Salmon, something that I fix just about every week. Goes to show, sometimes things just happen. (Expletive not used).
A simple dish of Mexican Rice and Chicken Thighs with Crispy Artichokes were on the menu for the night of our joint wine review, the wine being a perfect match.
Garnering scores of 93, 94, 95, and 96, this was going to be a treat. As I began assembling the meal, my daughter decanted the wine; even from a distance, I could smell the aromas emanating as did she while pouring. Before diving into dinner, we swirled our glasses and began our mental notes on the fragrances and then the taste of the wine.
“From my first sip of the wine, I knew it was something special. I said something to the extent of, ‘this smells like the type of wine I enjoy.’ At first, I couldn’t pick up on the exact flavors I tasted. I knew it had to be dark fruit but it wasn’t until my dad said cherry that it clicked. Maybe some blackberries too. This wine had a beautiful smooth taste that led to a dry polished finish. Drinking full body red wines with my dad are memories I’ll always cherish.” As soon as I dry my eyes, I’ll get back to things!
This wine made of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 7% Mazuelo (Carignan), and 3% Graciano sees 26 months aging, 40% in new French oak barrel, and 60% in second-fill French barrel made by Muga’s own cooperage. The results were stunning! Rich and lively, dark, and somewhat dried fruit started the experience, continuing to a well-balanced and smooth with a slight spiciness to finish the wine over an extended time. Oh yeah, the food was good too.
Now that we’ve broken the wine glass (didn’t want to use ice), I’m thinking that we can do more of these, even from our respective locations. A good reason to add to our video chats! I will miss the warm weather, but mostly my daughter!
Cheers
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Decanted for an hour. Black cherry, hope chest, green tobacco leaf, dried rose petals, Indian spice and sliced plum. The body is full, and the water is fine. Quite approachable with a lot of stuffing, the caressing, cashmere tannins and backbone show aging potential, and yet this is very fine today. The finish carries on and there’s welcome cut. Drink 2021 - 2036.
Opened and left in bottle for 4 hours. Cherry, oak, tobacco, licorice, dried herbs. Medium bodied, balanced, refine. Very well put together, young and drinking well, but not very complex. Will be brilliant in 5 years.
On night 2, closed down. Tannic. A keeper to improve. Great wine, lots of potential.
Deep ruby in color, somewhat opaque. Opened and decanted for about an hour before tasting. Aroma: dark fruit, black cherry, spice, vanilla Body: medium Flavors: FRESH fruit flavors: dark cherry, fresh plum, blackberry, mineral, faint leather, vanilla Finish: chalky, not a super long finish, a little tanginess on the back end Overall a very bright, balanced wine. I can see that it might need to mature a little. Bought 3 bottles, 1 for now and two to lay down. A very good wine, can't wait to see what some age does for it. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
Singapore wine tasting of muga. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 7% mazuelo, 3% graciano. Deep ruby Color. Very fruity nose with red fruit, and a bit of forest floor. Med acidity, full body, high alcohol, Med+ tannins, Med flavor intensity, Med finish. Red fruit, vanilla, spice, salinity, tannins are a bit harsh as the wine is still young, but you can see how this can evolve nicely. Too early to drink but should be great in a couple of years.
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Going up blind against the same producers Torre Muga-15.
And in the nose it's no difference. Fruit and spiceyness is pretty similar. But this is more ready today. Gave -14 89. This is slightly better as I recall it.
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Decanted an hour. Rich, ripe, dark fruit. Very good concentration. This is very nice but I prefer the 2015 Reserva for its balance and price point. B+/A-
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Deep intense cherry red colour with coloured tears in the glass.
Very intense in the nose. Aroma's of ripe berries and cherries, cedar, vanilla, cinnamon and some smoke.
Aroma's of cedar, ripe cherry, berries, vanilla and spices on the palate. A long finish, but a little bit too high in alcohol. Tannins are beautifully balanced.
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Drakk þetta með gestum. Vínið enn mjög lokað bæði ilmur og bragð. Opnaðist örlítið. Enn allt of ungt til að drekka það en lofar góðu með fögur fyrirheit. Ætla að kaup nokkrar flöskur í viðbót, jafnvel magnum og geyma og gleyma um sinn.
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Decant for 1 hour, dark color and delicious nose with berries and deep forest , taste very firm and amazing ( after having tasted some older Rioja Vina Tondonia Reserva, that spend too long time on oak) a relief and actually a great wine with lamb.
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4/13/2024 - grappagunnar Likes this wine: 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.
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1/10/2024 - nickcockingmusic wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic modern Rioja, still had enough old school vanilla to be recognizable as a Rioja
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12/28/2023 - Bearesentials Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark fruit, Oak, vanilla, earthy, drinking nicely right now.
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12/17/2023 - mvande21 Likes this wine: 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.
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6/9/2023 - Takao wrote: 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.
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2/8/2023 - Asull2k Likes this wine: 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.
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1/21/2023 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 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.
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1/6/2023 - Texas Oenophile Likes this wine: 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.
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11/20/2022 - RVC_Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vibrant and fresh, a ton of life! Meaty earthy but zesty raspberry and garrigue keeps the focus narrow. Lovely.
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9/3/2022 - ares77 Likes this wine: 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.
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6/19/2022 - WilD wrote: 91 Points
Young rioja. Needs to be decanted. Nice wine.
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6/18/2022 - Srabkin90 Likes this wine: 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.
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6/8/2022 - Zweder wrote: 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.
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4/15/2022 - MacX wrote: 88 Points
Good rigid Rioja!
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2/6/2022 - Zeitoun Likes this wine: 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.
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1/28/2022 - Oberhau Likes this wine: 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.
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1/21/2022 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 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.
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1/13/2022 - randyjc wrote: 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.
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12/10/2021 - EricLi wrote: 91 Points
Very good. Overwhelmed my chicken under the brick. Should go well with steak though.
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11/26/2021 - Weiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deeper, darker, heavier Rioja.
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11/8/2021 - Zweder wrote: 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+
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11/6/2021 - Stephen Rash Likes this wine:
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.
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10/31/2021 - ME_DOC Likes this wine: 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.
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10/4/2021 - Echinosum Likes this wine: 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.
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9/19/2021 - eagle4443 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good with a nice potential but too young and Need Time to open
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9/11/2021 - Doc2 Likes this wine:
Yes
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9/5/2021 - ziavino wrote: 92 Points
This is a beast and could definitely use a few more years. Red and black fruits up front are quickly deflected by a wall of tannins. Tar notes galore, with hints of espresso and oak lingering in the background.
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7/17/2021 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs.
Great balance and complexity. Still fruit forward. Tons of life ahead.
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7/14/2021 - Ulveström wrote:
Small cork damage, drinkable but disturbing.
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7/13/2021 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 93 Points
So good for the price. I wish I had bought more of these. Even with hefty tannins and oak present this is enjoyable. Rain check for next vintage.
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6/25/2021 - caroleandjay Likes this wine: 91 Points
Believe this will continue to improve over the next few years - the tannins are still a little heavy after a 30 min decant. Give it a bit more.
Deep purple with some garnet hue. Med- meniscus and high viscosity.
Oak was primary on the nose - it almost smelled like a cab early on, with cocoa and vanilla.
Red fruit really comes through on the palate for me, despite JS saying black fruit. To me - the grenache really shows itself early on. Cherry and raspberry are bright, mix with the oak - including baking spices - and the finish goes on.
Tannins are definitely ahead of the acid at this point, but they lessen as the bottle airs.
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6/24/2021 - whits Likes this wine: 92 Points
opaque, nice woody and cherry aromatics, structured, balanced, medium bodied with medium acid, flavors of dark berry, tree bark, dried cherry and coffee bean, tannic, should benefit from patience in the cellar, stiff through the mid-palate although the edges are forgiving, substantial Spanish juice in general, very nice
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6/21/2021 - Duderino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really opened up after about 1 hour. Wonderful!
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4/26/2021 - Tige wrote: 88 Points
Bu sur plusieurs jours, carafés de nombreuses heures.
Acidité élevée, tanins asséchants, un peu court pour le moment et du beau fruit mais un peu masqué par l'acidité et les tanins.
À revoir dans 5 ans, pourra durer encore pas mal plus.
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4/15/2021 - mimik Likes this wine: 93 Points
VERY VERY GOOD. Excellent qpr. Solid winemaking. Dark and brooding but with nice acidity. Long luscious finish 9
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4/12/2021 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty decent for the price. Definitely not as good as the Prado Enea, but I liked it and I did not feel as much tannins as the others described here. It remains a traditional style Rioja with some oak as I personally like Riojas, so it can age a little bit.
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4/7/2021 - adamanko wrote:
Much more tannic than I remembered. Putting it back for another day.
Day 9(!) and it's very much alive. This will last a looong time. Hold.
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3/31/2021 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine:
Not ready for prime time, needs at least another year to develop. Was massively tannic upon opening and even after letting it sit overnight it still wasn’t ready.
Drank my second bottle recently an the improvement was drastic.
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3/5/2021 - Cbailey501 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good big Rioja. French oak abounds in this Muga Reserva, rather than American. Rich dark red fruits (thanks to low-yielding select old vines) and savory aromas. Full-bodied with plenty of acidity to carry this wine for many years to come. Recommend at least 5 more years as the tannins need some time to round out.
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12/31/2020 - johnrm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened too early, I think - it needed at least 2-3 hours to open in the glass (and also, frankly, it needed a few more years to mature). Nevertheless, it was full of dark fruit, mainly cherry. Smooth and attractive despite its youth but with the soft tannic structure and acidity to give it a long future. It improved a great deal in the glass. Spice began to develop but the soft tannins needed food at this stage. However, over a few hours, the wine began to show its complexity and potential. It will probably be great in 5-10+ years and will last well beyond that. 91 at this stage but this will rise.
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11/14/2020 - Wloka Likes this wine:
Drank the first bottle. Adam came home.
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11/8/2020 - Patrik Mellstrom Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mörka bär, fylli, smakrik vanilj ek choklad
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11/7/2020 - juneau bob wrote: 90 Points
Very balanced with nice chocolate cherry finish.
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11/3/2020 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Keeping it) All In The Family
Always one to keep my word, or mostly, I bring you the FIRST Dad & Daughter review of “Hi, it’s Don 4 Wine” blog.
During my visit to Arizona, one aspect that everyone knew would be of keen interest and highly anticipated (other than my arrival), was that great food and great wine would be on the menu. In all honesty, the first meal that I prepared came out overdone and somewhat boring, at least to my standards. Shockingly it was Salmon, something that I fix just about every week. Goes to show, sometimes things just happen. (Expletive not used).
A simple dish of Mexican Rice and Chicken Thighs with Crispy Artichokes were on the menu for the night of our joint wine review, the wine being a perfect match.
Garnering scores of 93, 94, 95, and 96, this was going to be a treat. As I began assembling the meal, my daughter decanted the wine; even from a distance, I could smell the aromas emanating as did she while pouring. Before diving into dinner, we swirled our glasses and began our mental notes on the fragrances and then the taste of the wine.
“From my first sip of the wine, I knew it was something special. I said something to the extent of, ‘this smells like the type of wine I enjoy.’ At first, I couldn’t pick up on the exact flavors I tasted. I knew it had to be dark fruit but it wasn’t until my dad said cherry that it clicked. Maybe some blackberries too. This wine had a beautiful smooth taste that led to a dry polished finish. Drinking full body red wines with my dad are memories I’ll always cherish.” As soon as I dry my eyes, I’ll get back to things!
This wine made of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 7% Mazuelo (Carignan), and 3% Graciano sees 26 months aging, 40% in new French oak barrel, and 60% in second-fill French barrel made by Muga’s own cooperage. The results were stunning! Rich and lively, dark, and somewhat dried fruit started the experience, continuing to a well-balanced and smooth with a slight spiciness to finish the wine over an extended time. Oh yeah, the food was good too.
Now that we’ve broken the wine glass (didn’t want to use ice), I’m thinking that we can do more of these, even from our respective locations. A good reason to add to our video chats! I will miss the warm weather, but mostly my daughter!
Cheers
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10/14/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. Black cherry, hope chest, green tobacco leaf, dried rose petals, Indian spice and sliced plum. The body is full, and the water is fine. Quite approachable with a lot of stuffing, the caressing, cashmere tannins and backbone show aging potential, and yet this is very fine today. The finish carries on and there’s welcome cut. Drink 2021 - 2036.
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9/26/2020 - Vinoguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and left in bottle for 4 hours. Cherry, oak, tobacco, licorice, dried herbs. Medium bodied, balanced, refine. Very well put together, young and drinking well, but not very complex. Will be brilliant in 5 years.
On night 2, closed down. Tannic. A keeper to improve. Great wine, lots of potential.
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8/31/2020 - yasha Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good for young rioja, should improve with age.
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8/27/2020 - Julie Lampe Likes this wine:
Deep ruby in color, somewhat opaque. Opened and decanted for about an hour before tasting.
Aroma: dark fruit, black cherry, spice, vanilla
Body: medium
Flavors: FRESH fruit flavors: dark cherry, fresh plum, blackberry, mineral, faint leather, vanilla
Finish: chalky, not a super long finish, a little tanginess on the back end
Overall a very bright, balanced wine. I can see that it might need to mature a little. Bought 3 bottles, 1 for now and two to lay down. A very good wine, can't wait to see what some age does for it.
The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
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7/30/2020 - bram_epicurien Likes this wine: 89 Points
Singapore wine tasting of muga. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 7% mazuelo, 3% graciano. Deep ruby Color. Very fruity nose with red fruit, and a bit of forest floor. Med acidity, full body, high alcohol, Med+ tannins, Med flavor intensity, Med finish. Red fruit, vanilla, spice, salinity, tannins are a bit harsh as the wine is still young, but you can see how this can evolve nicely. Too early to drink but should be great in a couple of years.
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7/25/2020 - adamanko wrote: 90 Points
Going up blind against the same producers Torre Muga-15.
And in the nose it's no difference. Fruit and spiceyness is pretty similar. But this is more ready today. Gave -14 89. This is slightly better as I recall it.
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7/11/2020 - axl79 wrote: 91 Points
So rich and balanced with a lingering after taste. Decanted for 2 hours which made a huge difference; It's rather closed when just opened.
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7/5/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted an hour. Rich, ripe, dark fruit. Very good concentration. This is very nice but I prefer the 2015 Reserva for its balance and price point. B+/A-
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7/3/2020 - Mr Coone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep intense cherry red colour with coloured tears in the glass.
Very intense in the nose. Aroma's of ripe berries and cherries, cedar, vanilla, cinnamon and some smoke.
Aroma's of cedar, ripe cherry, berries, vanilla and spices on the palate.
A long finish, but a little bit too high in alcohol.
Tannins are beautifully balanced.
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2/16/2020 - Sigurdur Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drakk þetta með gestum. Vínið enn mjög lokað bæði ilmur og bragð. Opnaðist örlítið. Enn allt of ungt til að drekka það en lofar góðu með fögur fyrirheit. Ætla að kaup nokkrar flöskur í viðbót, jafnvel magnum og geyma og gleyma um sinn.
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11/22/2019 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
Decant for 1 hour, dark color and delicious nose with berries and deep forest , taste very firm and amazing ( after having tasted some older Rioja Vina Tondonia Reserva, that spend too long time on oak) a relief and actually a great wine with lamb.
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