Bodegas Muga Prado Enea 2009 – 3 Litre Bottle

An exemplary Gran Reserva, well developed and full of vitality. Expression of fruit, with a classic Rioja bouquet, with no animal notes or any sign of oxidation. Character of a fine, lively red from Rioja Alta. Bodegas Muga is one of the most traditional and important Rioja wineries, and the only winery in Spain with their own master cooper. Every deposit and barrel at the winery is French oak made by the master cooper. 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.

96 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate The most classic cuvee was not produced in 2007 or 2008, so we jumped to the phenomenal 2009 Prado Enea. It was produced with grapes from cooler vineyards that enjoyed 20 extra days of slow ripening compared with warmer zones, which provided them with perfect ripeness and deep flavors. This blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and the remaining 10% between Mazuelo and Graciano had an extended levage, in this case no less than three years (alternating newer and older barrels). This is still a baby and I know Winemaker Jorge Muga would like to keep it in bottle for longer before selling it, but the commercial pressure is tremendous, as there has been no wine since 2006. The wine has 14.1% alcohol and a surprising 3.34 pH, especially considering 2009 was generally a warm and ripe year. But somehow this cuve seems to work very well in ripe vintages. The wine feels even younger on the palate, and it still needs to develop some further complexity and the silky texture for which this wine is famous. There is good balance here and all the elements are in place for a nice development in bottle. In fact, it feels like one of the great recent vintages of Prado Enea. There will be no Prado Enea in 2012 and 2013 either, but it’s produced in 2010, 2014 (small quantities) and 2015. At this quality level, the price seems like a real bargain. 90,000 bottles produced in 2009.

96 Points – James Suckling This shows the ripeness and intensity of the vintage with truffles and hints of tea. Full body, layered and beautiful. Flavorful finish.