Muga Selección Especial Reserva 2021

Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva 2021 is a flagship Reserva from Bodegas Muga in Haro, drawn from the winery's own vineyards in Rioja Alta. It uses the classic Rioja quartet of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, a blend that balances structure, warmth, acidity and aromatic lift. Haro lies where Rioja Alta's continental climate meets cooler Atlantic influence, ripening the fruit slowly while preserving the firm acidity needed for long ageing. The wine spends twenty-six months in French and American oak followed by eighteen months in bottle, a long traditional elevage. Over more than two years in barrel the slow exchange of oxygen through the staves softens the tannins and develops the savoury, tertiary complexity of a serious Reserva, while the extended time in bottle rounds and integrates the wine before release. It is elegant and enveloping, medium to full bodied, with cherry and plum, vanilla and clove from the oak, and developing leather, tobacco and dried herbs. The tannins are fine and the finish long and persistent. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting ahead, with roast lamb or game.