
2022 Muga Rioja Reserva
2022 Muga Rioja Reserva
6904 Miramar Road
6904 Miramar Road
San Diego CA 92121
United States
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93+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2022 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, has more tertiary notes than other people's Gran Reserva, even though it has a very classical profile. It is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from vineyards no more than 25 kilometers from the winery in Haro, cropped from a warm and dry year. Here, what they did was wait; it rained a little, the plants unblocked and they had the patience to wait for the grapes to ripen fully. So, the grapes were in a very healthy state, and winemaker Isaac Muga likes to ferment the grapes destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and then mature the wine in 90% French and 10% American oak barrels for 22 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It has good ripeness, 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.59 and 5.45 grams of acidity, and it's medium- to full bodied, concentrated but sleek and polished, with fine-grained tannins, very supple flavors and a chalky finish. It still has some toasty notes in the finish that should integrate with a little bit more time. 945,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025. They are very happy with 2022, and they even produced Prado Enea and a tiny quantity of Aro. Drink: 2026-2036.
93 Points - Tim Atkin: This 2022 is labelled as a Reserva on export markets, but as a Crianza in Spain and is definitely worthy of the former classification. Combining Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 2.5% each of Mazuelo and Graciano, it’s a serious, well-structured assemblage that overdelivers at the price, with toasty French and 20% American oak, intense blackberry, vanilla and liquorice flavours and a mineral core. 2027-2035.
Winemaker Notes: This 2022 vintage has a bright ruby-red color, with medium depth and a garnet-tinged rim. On the nose you discover an intense, complex wine. Aromas of wild fruits of the forest (blackberries and blueberries) come to the fore, with hints of spices. On the palate it is long, elegant and nicely balanced. Its sharp acidity is perfectly integrated and it has soft tannins. The finish is very long and full of fruit.
