Bodegas Muga Torre Muga 2021
Bodegas Muga Torre Muga 2021
Drink Date: 2025 - 2042
"I again tasted the 2021 Torre Muga, which was produced with Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano grapes from 55+-year-old vines in the zones of Labastida, Briñas and Villalba de Rioja between 480 and 560 meters in altitude. The grapes were destemmed and put through an optical sorting machine and fermented in small oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in new French oak barrels for 18 months on average, as the different varieties aged separately. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.56 and 5.6 grams of acidity, pretty standard parameters here. This is evolving at a very slow pace, and I found it more backward and closed this time, more serious, with less aromas and flavors from the wood, and those toasty and smoky tones are now much better integrated. It has a balanced mouthfeel, with the freshness and fine tannins from the vintage. It was bottled in October 2023. Drink: 2025-2042. (Mar 2026)"
"This is a stunning expression of Torre Muga, often described as the most 'modern' of the bodega’s reds. Partnering Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, it’s an intense, layered, self-assured assemblage that handles its new French oak with ease. Think of it as Rioja meets Cru Classé Bordeaux, with appealing cedarwood, mocha and wild herb aromas, mouth-coating tannins, plenty of cool climate acidity and a core of black cherry, liquorice and bramble. One of the great 2021s. 2028-2045. (2026)"
96 pts Wine Spectator: "Fragrant and enticing, this fresh red shows a statuesque quality while maintaining overall harmony and balance. Hints of violet, dried thyme and rosemary, graphite, and anise lace a dark core of juicy blackberry paste, black cherry coulis and olive tapenade flavors, all enmeshed with a fine frame of muscular tannins. A push of ground coffee, smoke and dark chocolate echoes on the finish. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2046. (5/27/26)"
"The 2021 Torre Muga is a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano from Rioja. It aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. Garnet-red in hue, this opens with pronounced oak, blackberry and sour cherry notes, followed by spicy herbs, orange peel, incense and toffee in which the oak is a layered presence. On the palate, it’s juicy and structured, with moderate concentration and a polished texture that conveys both energy and elegance, although it still needs to settle down and integrate properly. This promises to develop a refined, expansive flow with further time in bottle. Drink: 2030-2050. (May 2025)"
GRAPES
Tempranillo, mazuelo and graciano
VINEYARDS
From a selection of vineyards. Vines located in the municipalities of Villalba de Rioja, Briñas and Labastida. Calcareous-clay and alluvial soils. Calcareous clay and alluvial.
WINEMAKING & AGING
Selection of vineyards. Manual harvesting with 200-kilo crates. Fermentation in wooden vats, separating the grapes according to variety and source vineyard, using indigenous yeasts and no temperature control. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the period of maceration varies and can continue for up to 2 or 3 weeks depending on variety and plot. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new casks made of French oak from the Allier department and Tronçáis, followed by 16-18 months of cask ageing, again depending on the grape variety. After this period, the final coupage of the wine takes place. Before bottling it undegoes light fining with fresh egg white.
