Bodegas Muga Prado Enea 2019
Bodegas Muga Prado Enea 2019
97 pts Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "The 2019 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is their more traditional Rioja, a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, mostly from Rioja Alta (Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche) at 550 to 700 meters in altitude, but the Garnacha is from different plots in the zone of Tudelilla at a high altitude. They didn't produce Prado Enea in 2017 or 2018, so this is the follow-up of the superb 2016. The bunches were harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, destemmed, put through optical sorting and fermented in small oak casks with indigenous yeasts. The élevage in barrel was extended to 36 months. The nose is phenomenal, keeping the essence of Muga with a touch of Garnacha perfume; it's still young and undeveloped for its age, not yet tertiary. The wine is full-bodied but fine-boned and has 14.7% alcohol, a pH of 3.46 and 5.81 grams per liter acidity. Still young, the wine has power and elegance and very good aging potential. It was bottled in January 2023. The next vintages will be 2021 and 2022, and after that perhaps 2025, but certainly no 2023 or 2024 wine. Drink: 2028-2040. (3/12/26)"
97 pts Tim Atkin, MW: "One of Rioja’s greatest pan-regional blends, this is a beautifully judged cuvée of Tempranillo, 17% Garnacha Tinta and 3% Mazuelo from Fonzaleche, Haro, Tudelilla, Sajazarra and Villalba de Rioja, making the most of cooler areas in a Mediterranean vintage. Deftly oaked in French and American barrels, it’s a youthful, structured, acid-driven red of great complexity with redcurrant and blackberry flavours, toasty, spicy oak, fine tannins and a lingering finish. Needs time. 2028-2040. (2026)"
96 pts Joaquín Hidalgo (Vinous): "Since the 2016 vintage, and with no wine made in 2017 or 2018, the 2019 Prado Enea Gran Reserva marks the first release, blending Tempranillo with Garnacha and Graciano from high-elevation vineyards in the western reaches of Rioja Alta. Up to 31 months in cask followed, with 80% French oak and 20% American. Layered aromatics of blackberry, plum and elderberry are framed by delicate herbal tones, cedar and a hint of coconut from the élevage. As it opens, the bouquet gains complexity and reveals subtle spice and sweet oak nuances. On the palate, notable energy and clarity of fruit are supported by fine-grained tannins and a juicy core that carries the flavors effortlessly through the finish. Gentle notes of coconut and caramel linger in the background, adding depth without overshadowing the fruit. Structured yet vibrant, this vintage captures the classical balance of Prado Enea, power moderated by freshness and length. Beautifully composed, this Rioja should age gracefully for decades. Drink: 2026-2055. (Apr 2026)"
GRAPES
Tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano
VINEYARDS
Calcareous clay and alluvial. With an altitude ranging between 550 and 600 metres. Prado Enea grapes are always the last to be harvested. It is a matter of careful selection of vineyard plots at altitude with grapes of fine quality, located in the northwest corner of the Rioja Alta, in the villages of Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche.
WINEMAKING & AGING
The grapes ferment in oak vats. Maceration is for 14 to 16 days. Following this the wine spends a minimum of 36 months ageing in French- and American-oak casks, to give it greater complexity. At the end of this period of ageing, the wine is lightly fined using fresh egg whites before bottling and then remains in our cellar for at least a further 36 months in order to complete the ageing process by providing elegance to the wine.