The 2016 vintage of Muga’s iconic Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a benchmark Rioja that beautifully combines power, finesse, and age-worthy structure. Sourced from high-altitude vineyards in the northwest of La Rioja Alta and aged for over six years, this wine is all about harmony and detail. Aromas of dark fruit, violets, chocolate, and subtle oak lead into a silky, full-bodied palate with velvety tannins and vibrant acidity. Notes of blackberry, spice, and creamy vanilla unfold with elegance and length. Already stunning, it will only improve over the next two decades. A must for collectors and lovers of traditional Rioja.

The Wine Advocate | RP 97+
Published: Feb 29, 2024
Drink: 2024-2040

The expressive, complex and nuanced 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a textbook traditional Rioja in the making. 2016 was a very elegant year, with aging potential, volume and very good acidity and freshness. It's full-bodied but fine-boned, has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.25 grams per liter acidity. It has terrific balance, with all the components in the right proportion to age superbly in bottle. They have also been working on the selection of wood used. This wine matured in French and American oak barrels for three years, and the oak is super integrated. 127,808 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020. It was an exceptional year with volume and quality.

The Muga family keeps buying vineyards and already has 475 hectares of vineyards (owned and some 90 hectares of those rented) and are even planting some new ones. They have bought the facilities of the Labastida cooperative (only the buildings) because they have grown to some two million bottles, especially with the new brand, El Andén de la Estación, which is close to 200,000 bottles, but also in whites and sparkling wine.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 97
Published: Nov 15, 2023

Complex aromas of dark fruit with violets, walnuts and chocolate. Classy. It's full-bodied with plush yet fine velvety tannins, and a precise and pointed finish. Juicy and savory. Tight finish. It's very long. This is beautiful now but will be even better in three or four years. Linear and vertical at the same time. Try after 2026.

Decanter | D 93
Published: Apr 13, 2024
Drink: 2024-2046

Released in Autumn 2023, this is a sturdy, brooding beast, near obsidian in colour and with a precocious aromatic dominated by tobacco, toasty oak and a beguiling combination of balsamic vinegar and bilberry jam. Frighteningly youthful, an impression confirmed by the rigour of the structure; firm acidity and muscular tannins to the fore, but nothing gets in the way of the quality and power of the dark fruit core which captures the essence of this gloriously idiosyncratic wine in a strong vintage such as this.
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.50%
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 9% Graciano 9% Mazuelo 82% Tempranillo

Bodegasmuga.com

VARIETIES
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.
GEOLOGY AND SOIL
Clay-calcareous and alluvial. With an altitude between 550 and 600 meters
ELABORATION
Prado Enea grapes are always the last to be harvested. This is a careful selection of high-quality grapes from high-altitude plots located in the northwest of La Rioja Alta, in the municipalities of Sajazarra, Cellorigo, and Fonzaleche. The grapes ferment in oak vats. The maceration period lasts 14–16 days, followed by a minimum of 36 months in French and American oak barrels to add complexity. At the end of the aging period, the wine is lightly clarified with fresh egg whites before being bottled and stored in our winery for at least another 36 months, to complete the aging process and add elegance.

TASTING
Prado Enea Gran Reserva 2016 has a medium-bodied cherry red color. The nose displays an elegant combination of forest fruits (blackberry, blackberry) with spices like cinnamon and clove. The entry is silky, with medium volume and a very long and pleasant mouthfeel. Velvety tannins are in perfect harmony with its fresh and perfectly integrated acidity. Creamy notes of vanilla blended with fresh fruit are also found.
Perfect for drinking now or in the coming years.

PAIRING
This wine pairs well with stews, meat and cheese dishes, and can even be enjoyed on its own, without any accompaniment.