Bodegas Muga, Reserva Seleccion Especial 2019

*96 pts Tim Atkin* 

"A great, great vintage" is how Isaac Muga describes 2019 and he certainly has a point here on what is effectively the second wine of Torre Muga. Partnering Tempranillo with 12% Garnacha Tinta and 4% each of Mazuelo and Graciano, it's a structured, polished delight, with stylish 40% new French oak, blackberry, blood orange and liquorice favours and layered, granular tannins. 2025-40

 *95 pts James Suckling* 

Fresh and demure nose with lots of cocoa powder, blackcurrants, blackberries and a hint of cigar and charcoal. Excellent depth and class here with a very juicy center palate. Medium to full body with a long and layered finish.

 *95 pts Wine Advocate* 

The subtle and harmonious 2019 Selección Especial reflects a very complete and good vintage. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. 2019 is a powerful vintage with balance and freshness. The grapes ripened thoroughly and developed a full set of aromas and flavors. It's complex and nuanced, with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry and tasty finish. Selección applies to the vineyards but also the barrels and everything that contributes to this wine; it's not only a selection of lots, which was the case before the 1994 vintage.

95 pts Wine & Spirits:

Black, somber and rich, this has the gravitas of old-fashioned Rioja. Selección Especial is made primarily from vineyards in the hills stretching from Villalba to Abalos, after the first cut from those lots goes to Torre Muga. These parcels, close to the mountains, are influenced by limestone in the soils, while two others, including a cool, north-facing parcel, add fruit from clay soils to the blend. That coolness shows up against the warm scent of rosemary and Mediterranean scrub, alongside this wine’s blueberry-skin tannins. Youthfully suppressed, it’s concentrated and substantial, suited to long aging. If you open it now, decant it long before dinner with a butterflied leg of lamb grilled with rosemary stalks.