Muga, a famous winery based in Haro’s station district, makes one of the best Rioja Crianzas around, which has become a bestseller. We’ve got the latest vintage: Muga Crianza 2021. This red fully reflects the winery’s identity and has been aged for a very long period equivalent to that of a Reserva: 22 months in barrels made by Muga’s own cooperage. Balanced and elegant on the palate with smooth tannins and a very long and fruity finish.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Type of barrel
Barrels made in the winery's own cooperage, 80% French oak and 20% American
Barrel aging time
22 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
Muga Crianza 2021 hails from the station district in Haro, one of the indisputable epicenters of the D.O.Ca. Rioja. It comes from a family winery that has been running the business for almost a hundred years. Its followers are everywhere, as the quality of the wine that bears its label is guaranteed.
The varietal blend for this Crianza is dominated by Tempranillo, complemented by Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo, and Graciano. The grapes were harvested by hand, and fermentation took place in wooden vats. The wine was aged for 22 months in barrels made in the winery's own cooperage, with 80% French oak and 20% American oak, and was clarified with fresh egg whites in a completely artisanal process. Once bottled, it was further matured for a minimum of 9 months in the winery before being released onto the market.
Bodegas Muga is one of the few Spanish firms that has its own cooperage. Having one of the few active coopers in the country shows the importance that this Riojan winery attaches to the barrels in which its wines are aged. The wood is selected from different forests at origin: France, the United States, or Central Europe, and it is in Haro where the barrels are assembled in an artisanal process. Specifically for this Crianza, 80% French oak barrels and the remaining 20% American or Central European oak barrels have been used. We're talking about new and used barrels, with a maximum of six years.
Muga Crianza 2021 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) is ideal with meat dishes, such as beef steaks, as well as sausages and all kinds of stews.
Creators' opinion
La añada 2021 muestra un color rojo rubí brillante, de capa media y ribete granate. En nariz tenemos un vino intenso y complejo. Destacan aromas de frutos del bosque (arándanos y moras) con toques de especias. En boca es largo, equilibrado y elegante. Destaca una acidez perfectamente integrada y con un tanino suave. Muestra un final de boca muy largo y frutal. Perfecto para disfrutar ahora, pero también gracias a su buen equilibrio y estructura puede permanecer en botella durante varios años.
The winery
Bodegas Muga is one of the most reliable and recognizable names in Rioja, founded in 1932 by the family that gives it its name: the Muga family, now led by the third generation. Its history began in a modest winery located on a central street in Haro, but in 1970, it inaugurated new facilities in the famous Barrio de la Estación in the same town. Muga is characterized by its commitment to traditional winemaking: gravity racking, egg white fining, and all red wines are made, fermented, and aged in oak (there is no stainless steel in the winery). It is also one of the few Spanish wineries with its own cooperage. However, in the vineyard, it embraces modern technology, monitoring the plants.
It is also distinguished by its mastery of aging, especially long aging, as its red wines exceed the aging times stipulated by the Regulatory Council of the D.O.Ca. Rioja. Its portfolio is divided into two lines: a more classic line with the Muga and Prado Enea range, and a more modern one with Torre Muga and the ‘top’ Aro. These are joined by the new Flor de Muga label, available in white and rosé versions. All of these wines have elegance in their DNA, with outstanding acceptance.
It boasts exceptional vineyards of tempranillo, garnacha, graciano, and mazuelo, located in the valleys of the Oja and Tirón rivers. In these lands, soil and climate come together to offer exceptional conditions for the vine, something the Muga family takes full advantage of to craft their renowned wines.