This is an integrated, harmonious wine that manages to present as bold and elegant at the same time. A nose of black cherries, blackberries and dark chocolate gives way to a mouthwatering palate of elevated black fruit with notes of coffee, tobacco, and smoky earthiness. The tannins are silky smooth. The finish is long and spicy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Day 1: Love these wines. Cherry, earth, mint, spice, cigar and floral notes. Medium plus finish. 92 points Day 2: Even better. Cigar, blue fruits, cherry, minerals, earth, rose petals, leather and dust. Very rustic and amazing how well this is showing young. One of the better Reserva Especial's in recent memory. 94 points Day 3: Holding form from day 2. Excellent wine. Just a great Bodega. 94 points Recommendation: Excellent buy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another nice wine from this producer; nose shows some age, but fruit persists on the palate and there are still soft tannins on the finish; not quite as good as the 2015
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Found this a bit too modern for my palate. Smooth and fine tannins but lacking the complexity I was expecting; especially since some of the grapes that typically go into Muga’s heavy hitters went into this wine in 2018.
I don’t really understand Wine Advocate’s 95 point score for this.
Tasted partially blind alongside other wines from Rioja and this finished 3/4 for the group.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Middle of the road, drinkable tempranillo. Nothing special. Very hot and volatile on day 2. Overpriced. I wonder to what extent its was cooked in transit from Spain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rioja (K&L Wine Merchant - San Francisco): N: Big black grapes, the fruit notes are subtle, almost like the berries were too plump and overgrown from receiving too much rain. Soft cherries and some rose aromatics.
P: Juicy dark cherries with used oak, but in a way that seems to suppress the fruits a little bit. Shiny river minerals and earth.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Theres black cherries and tobacco on the nose. Palate with cassis and spices in a medium bodied package, thats fresh, vibrant and pure, with nice sweetness. Great quality of the fruit. A pretty long finish with nice tannins. This is young, but opens up after an hour. Touch of class here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We enjoyed it after leaving the bottle open for a week. It opened up nicely and the fruit brightened. Overall, a medium bodied wine which fruit forward and good acidity to balance it out. On mid-palate you feel tannings to begin with followed by a hit of spice and sweetness to follow. A very enjoyable wine to drink by itself or pair with meat heavy and sauce based entrées.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a beautiful blackberry vanilla delight. The oak and a moment of cedar are just below the surface providing a beautiful foundation. To exhale while drinking is a exploration of the depth here. Just lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's dark ruby colored, medium legs and notes of oak and some blackberry hit you right away. A medium bodied wine with a slightly coarse texture, it went down well with brie and other creamy cheeses. Was slightly tannic and with medium acidity, and leaves a fairly distinctive complex taste. This is a young wine and will have good potential after a few years of ageing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
According to TWA Luis Gutierrez ( I really like his writing and passion) - 18 was a very cool year and no Gran Reserva wines were made, thus all the juice went into this wine. I was intrigued. Decanted 1 hr - Classy French Oak hits initially, which one would expect given the youth. Once things settled in, indeed we have a very fine and elegant Rioja to enjoy; one where the fruit (dark blackberries) very much take a back seat to the wines structure. So don’t even think about drinking this without appropriate vittles. While medium bodied, the tannins are very much center stage currently, as is the wines acidity which cleanses neatly on the back half. This really needs time and I think there is just enough material to make this a pretty dang good bottle in 3 got 6 years, perhaps longer. It will certainly age for a decade plus. Positive experience here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/26/2024 - Lion's Share Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an integrated, harmonious wine that manages to present as bold and elegant at the same time. A nose of black cherries, blackberries and dark chocolate gives way to a mouthwatering palate of elevated black fruit with notes of coffee, tobacco, and smoky earthiness. The tannins are silky smooth. The finish is long and spicy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2024 - StoneRidgeCellars wrote: 94 Points
Drank with Gina the day we received. Excellent. Bold, spicy, needs about 10 mins to decant. Will age beautifully. Can drink a bottle every year!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2024 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Day 1: Love these wines. Cherry, earth, mint, spice, cigar and floral notes. Medium plus finish. 92 points
Day 2: Even better. Cigar, blue fruits, cherry, minerals, earth, rose petals, leather and dust. Very rustic and amazing how well this is showing young. One of the better Reserva Especial's in recent memory. 94 points
Day 3: Holding form from day 2. Excellent wine. Just a great Bodega. 94 points
Recommendation: Excellent buy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2024 - CabPfeffer Fan Club Likes this wine: 91 Points
Spicy dark fruit nose leads to a complex mouthfull of berries, spice, smooth tannins to a vanilla tinged long finish. Quite fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2023 - Oberhau Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another nice wine from this producer; nose shows some age, but fruit persists on the palate and there are still soft tannins on the finish; not quite as good as the 2015
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2023 - Bigdong wrote: 91 Points
W&S.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2023 - sboyle Likes this wine: 88 Points
Notes of blackberry, black cherry and spice. Tannins are medium and fine. Acidity is medium-plus. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall, its a decent wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2023 - mfimiani47 wrote: 90 Points
Found this a bit too modern for my palate. Smooth and fine tannins but lacking the complexity I was expecting; especially since some of the grapes that typically go into Muga’s heavy hitters went into this wine in 2018.
I don’t really understand Wine Advocate’s 95 point score for this.
Tasted partially blind alongside other wines from Rioja and this finished 3/4 for the group.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2023 - Joe Fischer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice black cherry and cranberry aromas and cedar on the bud. Very smooth with a nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2023 - Carib Likes this wine: 87 Points
Middle of the road, drinkable tempranillo. Nothing special. Very hot and volatile on day 2. Overpriced. I wonder to what extent its was cooked in transit from Spain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rioja (K&L Wine Merchant - San Francisco): N: Big black grapes, the fruit notes are subtle, almost like the berries were too plump and overgrown from receiving too much rain. Soft cherries and some rose aromatics.
P: Juicy dark cherries with used oak, but in a way that seems to suppress the fruits a little bit. Shiny river minerals and earth.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2023 - Whitman wrote: 93 Points
Theres black cherries and tobacco on the nose. Palate with cassis and spices in a medium bodied package, thats fresh, vibrant and pure, with nice sweetness. Great quality of the fruit. A pretty long finish with nice tannins. This is young, but opens up after an hour. Touch of class here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2023 - Alvarovazquez Likes this wine: 92 Points
A semi-Reserva from a very cool year. Modern Rioja style. Delicious after one hour decanting. Enjoy now and for the next 5 years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2023 - Pvaddadi Likes this wine: 90 Points
We enjoyed it after leaving the bottle open for a week. It opened up nicely and the fruit brightened. Overall, a medium bodied wine which fruit forward and good acidity to balance it out. On mid-palate you feel tannings to begin with followed by a hit of spice and sweetness to follow. A very enjoyable wine to drink by itself or pair with meat heavy and sauce based entrées.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2022 - Gregboch wrote: 95 Points
This is a beautiful blackberry vanilla delight. The oak and a moment of cedar are just below the surface providing a beautiful foundation. To exhale while drinking is a exploration of the depth here. Just lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2022 - OddCollect Likes this wine: 88 Points
It's dark ruby colored, medium legs and notes of oak and some blackberry hit you right away. A medium bodied wine with a slightly coarse texture, it went down well with brie and other creamy cheeses. Was slightly tannic and with medium acidity, and leaves a fairly distinctive complex taste. This is a young wine and will have good potential after a few years of ageing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2022 - Dale M wrote:
According to TWA Luis Gutierrez ( I really like his writing and passion) - 18 was a very cool year and no Gran Reserva wines were made, thus all the juice went into this wine. I was intrigued. Decanted 1 hr - Classy French Oak hits initially, which one would expect given the youth. Once things settled in, indeed we have a very fine and elegant Rioja to enjoy; one where the fruit (dark blackberries) very much take a back seat to the wines structure. So don’t even think about drinking this without appropriate vittles. While medium bodied, the tannins are very much center stage currently, as is the wines acidity which cleanses neatly on the back half. This really needs time and I think there is just enough material to make this a pretty dang good bottle in 3 got 6 years, perhaps longer. It will certainly age for a decade plus. Positive experience here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Good structure, pure fruit, vibrant, well balanced. Good length. 91-93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2022 - flussier wrote: 87 Points
Un peu sucré, sur la venaison et cuire. Encore jeune
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment