Muga Rioja Reserva 'Unfiltered' 2022 (750ml) *

A traditional Rioja Alta Reserva built on Tempranillo, with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano rounding out the blend, this bottling from Muga sees 24 months in cask before release. The barrels come from the estate's own cooperage, roughly four parts French oak to one part American, and the wine is bottled unfiltered, which keeps texture and detail intact. It sits squarely in the classic Rioja Alta idiom: red-fruited, oak-inflected, structured for the table.

Fine oak tones lead the way, cedar and sandalwood with a whisper of spice, and they frame red and black fruit carried on a light balsamic thread. The palate is dry and juicy, its tannins fine and reactive, drawing the structure into a slightly compact frame that gives the wine grip without heaviness. Fruit and that gentle tug of tannin carry through a persistent finish.