As you already know, I am a big fan of Spanish wines. Muga wines (perhaps for its easy to remember name) were my first favorites from Spain – and I must say, the quality of their whole portfolio made me stay loyal to this brand over the years.
I have done quite a few reviews on different Muga wines because they are always staple in my wine cellar.
Here I had the pleasure reuniting with Juan Muga, one of the brothers, who runs the family winery today. Juan was hosting our tasting, when I visited Bodegas Muga back in 2007.
Below is a link to an interview with Jorge Muga Palacin, a winemaker in Bodegas Muga.
I’m on the business side. Me and my brother, we are the 3rd generation we manage the whole company as well as the export market, and my 2 cousins manage the technical part of the winery. Zach, my younger cousin is more into winemaking, and my other cousin Jorge is more into vines.
Has wine always been your career?
Yes. I have another brother and another sister, but they are in other companies, they are not interested in winemaking.
Describe the philosophy of your winery, Bodegas Muga.
My Grandfather founded the winery in a small village in the Rioja region of Spain. In the village, people used to consume a lot of wine! When he first started making it, it was all young wine. All the wines he made used to be make, were consumed when they were young, we didn’t do any aging. At that time, many families used to consume, like, 6-7 liters per day! Even children, they used to have wine as a toast, with a little sugar in it of course!
Bodegas Muga, owned by the Muga family since 1932, is located at Haro, Rioja Alta. When Isaac Muga Sr. passed away, his two sons took over and are representing the most traditional Rioja production today.
Muga is the only winery left in Spain that uses only oak throughout the process of elaboration. They even make their own cooperage from directly imported American and French oak.
2005 Muga Reserva aged for 6 months in wooden vats, 2 years in new French and American oak barrels, it’s being fined with egg whites and the wine is bottled unfiltered. Reserva rests at least another 12 months in bottles before its release.
Tasting notes:
As always, this wine is very elegant – dark purple to ruby color and lovely notes of dark fruit and oak on the nose. On the palate it is a sexy, medium weight dark berries wine with smokiness of wood, tobacco, spices and enough soft tannins and acidity to keep for quite a few years. Complex and beautifully balanced.
Muga Reserva is definitely drinkable right now, but it will improve with a few years of cellaring. Consistently world – class wine from Rioja for insane low price. Wines from Muga family never disappointed me. Ever.
Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: under $30.00
Here I had the pleasure reuniting with Juan Muga, one of the brothers, who runs the family winery today. Juan was hosting our tasting, when I visited Bodegas Muga back in 2007.
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