Torre Muga Rioja 2019

Torre Muga Rioja, Spain, 2019    

Grapes: Tempranillo 75%, Mazuelo 15% and Graciano 10%, wild yeast fermentation in oak vats (no temperature control), egg white fining,  aged for 18 months in new French-oak barrels (Allier). 

Muga did not produce their top three red wines in 2017 and 2018, so it's good to see the latest release of "Torre Muga" to the market. 2019 was a warm, dry and healthy vintage, quite homogeneous when all the wines were good.

With this new vintage we are presented with an elegant-looking wine, with good depth of colour, a rich red with purplish hues which denote its youthfulness and potential for evolution. The nose reveals a deeply intense aroma of blackberries and strawberries. The smoked nuances from its ageing in finest quality French oak come through, creating an unmatchable harmony. A powerful palate, with the same predominant aromas as on the nose, and a good balance between the alcohol and the acidity as well as smooth, elegant tannins. The finish is very long in the mouth leaving a sensation of fullness.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The 2019 Torre Muga showcases the classical blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Cariñena) and Graciano, all from old and some ancient vines. The grapes are harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, the bunches destemmed and the grapes put through optical sorting to ferment in small oak vats with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic was in new French oak barrels, where the wine aged after racking for some 18 months, during which time it was racked every eight to nine months. It was fined with egg whites. 2019 is a great vintage for Muga, and they produced quality and quantity, which is remarkable. This has a slightly more modern profile and some French oak undertones, more noticeable in a wide glass and subtler in a narrower one. But it has stuffing, freshness and balance to absorb it in the short to medium term. And it's a year of power and finesse, one of the best in recent years. 47,880 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2021." Drink 2024-2035

95+/100 points, Luis Gutierrez, WINE ADVOCATE, July 2022

"Colour: very deep cherry. Aroma: complex, expressive, spicy, mineral, black fruit, ripe fruit. Flavour: full-bodied, long, great length, grainy tannins"

95/100 points, GUIA PENIN (Spain), May 2022

"Deep violet-red in the glass, this wine has a nose of black cherry, black currant, vanilla and dried Mediterranean herbs. Deep-set tannins coat the tongue and gums before revealing blackberry preserve, butterscotch, anisette and violet flavors. The enduring finish offers a splash of pomegranate. Drink through 2039."

97/100 points, WINE ENTHUSIAST, April 2024

The absolute classic food match with with roast leg of lamb & garlic. The winery even suggests pairing with grilled white fish.