Torre Muga 2003 by Bodegas Muga

COMPOSITION: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano

TASTING NOTES:
92 Points - "The 2003 Torre Muga is 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, and 10% Graciano made in a modern style. The wine spends 22 months in large American oak vats followed by 16 months in new French barriques before being bottled unfiltered. The wine is a saturated purple with fragrant aromas of earth, smoke, vanilla, blueberry, and blackberry jam. On the palate it is tannic and chunky but packed with intense black fruits. There is plenty of pure power but also the lack of breadth due to the searing heat of the vintage. - The Wine Advocate.

The philosophy behind Torre Muga is to make small batches of a modern wine using both a very traditional blend of Rioja varietals and classic techniques. Only the best grapes from the winery are used, and they undergo an intense selection process on the triage table after harvest.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Mr. Isaac Muga opened his first cellar in 1932. At his death in 1969, his sons Manuel and Isaac took over the management and winemaking of the winery. This is the only winery left in Spain that uses only oak throughout the process of its production. The Muga family continues to maintain their own cooperage and directly imports American and French oak in order to custom make their barrels. The family estate consists of of 96 acres (40 hectares) and supplements their production with grapes from 50 different small growers; some of them have less than one hectare, from 40-50 year-old vines. The majority of grapes are from Rioja Alta.