From Bodegas Muga, this outstanding 2021 Reserva is a classic, age-worthy Rioja crafted mainly from Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Aged for 24 months in oak (80% French, 20% American) and further refined in bottle, it shows bright ruby colour with aromas of blackberries, dark plums and sweet spices. The palate is plush yet fresh, with fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity and a long, fruit-driven finish. Elegant, balanced and structured — perfect to enjoy now or cellar through 2040.

The Wine Advocate | RP 94
Published: Feb 27, 2025
Drink: 2025-2040 

The grapes for the 2021 Reserva (sold as Crianza in Spain), mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano, were picked late in a cooler year when they finished the harvest the 20th of October, with plenty of times for the grapes to develop full aromas and flavors and complete ripeness. It fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, separating qualities, villages and soils, and matured in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 24 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It's a textbook example of their style in a very good year, with power, concentration and clout, elegance and freshness. It was a very harmonious year; the cycle was long and the tannins ripened to perfection. It's terrific and more so for the volume they produce (984,000 bottles of it). It was fined with egg whites and bottled in January 2024.

I met with Manu Muga to taste the latest releases from his family winery in Haro. They now have 475 hectares of vineyards (that cover around 60% of their needs), as they have been buying quite intensively in the last few years, and they have started the process of obtaining organic certification for some plots, as they do not use insecticides, herbicides or mineral fertilizers and apply sustainable practices, using pheromones and organic products for the treatment of the vines. They have 14,000 oak barrels and 250 oak vats, as the whole winery is based on wood; they don't use stainless steel at all. They produce 2.2 million bottles per year.

They are releasing wines from different vintages. They consider 2023 and 2024 quite challenging; in 2024, they will only produce a Reserva red and none of the others. 2022 was very good despite the warm temperatures and scarce rain, but for them, 2023 was warmer. 2021 was a stellar year in the zone and many other regions in Spain. There is a new sparkling wine with a longer time in bottle with lees.

James Suckling | JS 93
Published: Aug 7, 2024

A plush yet fresh Rioja showing blackberries, dark plums, fine spices, cocoa powder and a touch of roasted red chile peppers. Medium- to full-bodied and juicy, with firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, bright finish showing some graphite, blackberries and dark chocolate. Tempranillo, garnacha, graciano and mazuelo. Drink now or hold.

Wine Spectator | WS 92
Published: May 31, 2025

This is fresh and minerally up front, opening to reveal a fine mesh of chopped cherry and plum skin flavors, with fragrant hints of ground coffee, smoked paprika and dried marjoram. Sculpted tannins define the long, slightly chewy finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2035. 80,000 cases made, 15,000 cases imported.

Jancis Robinson | JR 16.5
Published: Jan 10, 2025

Full bottle 1,330 g. Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano. Hand-harvested. Fermentation in wooden vats at a controlled temperature. Aged for 24 months in casks made in Muga’s own cooperage (80% French oak and 20% American). Fined using fresh egg whites. Then aged a minimum of 12 months in bottle. Natural cork closure. RS 2.8 g/l, free SO₂ 25 mg/l, total SO₂ 87 mg/l.
Round, lively and full of fruit. Very pure, satisfying ambassador from the region. No hurry to drink. 

Bodegasmuga.com

Tasting
This 2021 vintage has a bright ruby-red colour, with medium depth and a garnet-tinged rim. On the nose you discover an intense, complex wine. Aromas of wild fruits of the forest (blackberries and
blueberries) come to the fore, with hints of spices.
On the palate it is long, elegant and nicely balanced. Its sharp acidity is perfectly integrated and it has soft tannins. The finish is very long and full of fruit.
Perfect for drinking now but, thanks to its good balance and structure, it can be kept in the bottle
for several years.

Vinification process
Manual harvesting. Fermentation in wooden vats with controlled temperatures. Aged for 24 months in casks made in our own coopers’ workshop with selection of the sources. The origin of the wood is 80% French oak and 20% American. Before bottling the wine is fined using fresh egg whites. It then spends a minimum of 12 months in our bottle cellar to give it greater complexity and finesse.

Food pairing
This wine will be an excellent accompaniment to meat dishes like a ribeye steak, as well as with charcuterie and all kinds of casseroles. 

Grapes varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano