“The 2019 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, comes from a dry and warm year with low yields and concentrated wines. ... This is serious and young but balanced, nuanced and complex. They are shortening the time in oak, as they feel they have better and younger barrels and think the wines need less time in oak and more time in bottle. This is very Muga, very Rioja and very good.” —Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points
Pairing: The 2019 Muga Reserva Rioja is a versatile wine that pairs well with a variety of dishes. Its medium body and fine tannins make it an excellent match for grilled meats, stews, and roasted vegetables. Here are some pairing options:
* Almost any kind of lamb dish from roast lamb to tender lamb cutlets grilled over vine clippings (a local favourite in the region) to slow braised lamb shanks or even a rogan josh. Shepherds pie, Lancashire hotpot, merguez (check out , moussaka . . . It’s hard to think of a lamb dish that doesn’t work with rioja.
* Many pork dishes especially cooked Spanish style with
beans. Chorizo and morcilla (black pudding) are both good pairings for younger riojas as are jamon (ham) and albondigas (meatballs) making red rioja a good match for more robust tapas.
* Dishes with red peppers and/or pimenton or paprika
* Almost any kind of mild or medium-hot dish with chillies like chilli con carne and other chiles. (Rioja suits south-west American food and American barbecue)
* Dishes with saffron such as paella or Moroccan tagines - including,
surprisingly, chicken with preserved lemon and olives and Mediterranean-style fish stews
Homemade Merguez
About. Founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga and Aurora Caño, Bodegas Muga is one of the oldest and most traditional producers in Rioja. The first wines were made in an underground cellar, until in 1968 they decided to set up their own winery in a beautiful old 19th- century town-house situated in the city of Haro. Over the years, as Bodegas Muga has gained worldwide recognition for its outstanding wines, it holds on to the spirit of a family-run company.
They carefully control every step of the viticultural and vinification process from the vineyards to making their own barrels and fermenting and aging the wine entirely in oak. Muga is one of only six estates in the world that owns its own cooperage and they import the oak directly from the United States and France.