I've been a longtime fan of the wines of Muga, one of the top addresses in Rioja. I never knew they made a Crianza, but their 2019 El Anden de la Estacion is splendid.
A wine that could easily go toe-to-toe with many Reserva Riojas, it was Luis Gutierrez of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who described the wine as "delicious and still quite complex." That's exactly what I said after tasting this one last week. Serious value here folks!
2019 Bodegas Muga Rioja Crianza 'El Anden de la Estacion'
94 points Yours Truly, 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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Bodegas Muga is the stuff of legends. Founded in 1932, this outstanding estate combines the best attributes of traditional Rioja (extended aging before release) with the riper and juicier stylings of modern Rioja. With their Crianza, they have created a wine that I challenge you not to like.
There's just so much to love about this wine. It's silky, it's complex, and it's an incredibly satisfying glass of wine. It offers up gorgeous notes of ripe cherry, earth, vanilla, Asian spices, and violet. Medium-bodied, fine-grained, and long on the finish, this is what great Rioja is supposed to taste like.
The inspiration for the wine is the local train station in Haro, which was responsible for shipping wine from Rioja to Bordeaux during the time of phylloxera. Click here for a great article that discusses the complicated and historic relationship between these two legendary viticultural zones. It's a great read!
And I highly recommend you read it while you're sipping on a glass of this :) I'll let Mr. Gutierrez wrap it up here -- his reviews on Spanish wines are second to none. "The 2019 El Andén de la Estación is a new red that takes advantage of the Barrio de la Estación, the train station neighborhood of Haro. It's a Crianza with less extraction, looking for the elegance and finesse of the classical Rioja wines. It's a blend of Tempranillo from their younger vines and Garnacha (that they buy) that is matured in French and European barrels for 14 months. It's floral, juicy and expressive, very open and approachable. This is delicious and still quite complex."
Just 7 cases available at deal pricing. I'd act fast if I were you...
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Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville