# Reserva (2020)

- **Producer:** Bodegas Muga
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano
- **Region:** Rioja, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €40
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** red cherry, liquorice, blackcurrant, black cherry, red plum, black plum, charred wood, cedar, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cloves, leather, tobacco, wet leaves, earth

## About this wine

The Muga Reserva 2020 is a distinguished red wine from Bodegas Muga, a family-owned winery established in 1932 in the Rioja Alta region of Spain. The winery is renowned for its deep commitment to traditional winemaking, including its own cooperage. This Reserva is crafted from a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano grapes, benefiting from the slow ripening facilitated by the region's climate. The 2020 vintage is noted for its approachable character.

## Interesting facts

- Muga is one of the few wineries with its own cooperage and barrel makers.
- Barrels are crafted using French, American, and Central European oak.
- The wine undergoes 24 months of oak aging before bottle aging.
- Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation.

## Food pairing

The wine's medium-plus body and supple tannins are well-suited to complement the richness of red meats and proteins. The wine's inherent complexity can stand up to robust flavors, while its balanced acidity helps to cut through fattier dishes, cleansing the palate.

## Wine making process

The Muga Reserva 2020 is produced using grapes from estate vineyards in Rioja Alta. Fermentation takes place in large oak vats with indigenous yeasts, followed by a seven-day maceration. The wine is then aged for 24 months in oak barrels, predominantly French oak, and spends a minimum of 12 months aging in bottle before release. Bodegas Muga operates its own cooperage, crafting barrels in-house.