Conde de Haro 1973 Gran Reserva

Wine: Conde de Haro 1973 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Muga (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 40% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo, 10% Viura
ABV: 12.5% vol.

Winemaking:
40% of the grapes are sourced from estate vineyards, with the remainder from small Rioja Alta growers and trusted local winemakers. Each variety is vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in 18,000-liter wooden vats. During racking to clean vats, dried grape stalks are used as a natural filter. The wine spends 12 months in vats and horizontal tanks for malolactic fermentation. It matures for 36 to 48 months in used American oak barrels (average age 10 years), handcrafted in the winery’s cooperage. Manual rackings occur every 4 months, followed by fining with fresh egg whites. Minimum of 4 years of bottle aging before release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Very light ruby color with low depth; translucent and brilliant. Limpid and sediment-free with amber and garnet reflections. Broad, tile-colored (atejado) rim, barely distinct from the meniscus. Viscous with permanent tears.

 

Nose: Immediately striking; an undeniable masterpiece. A Muga with an autumnal spirit, as deep, seductive, and elegant as the greatest 1973 Riojas. It maintains the purity of overripe fruit (strawberry tree, pomegranate, redcurrant) supported by a perfume of the finest reduction. A complex medley of pipe tobacco, ground peppercorns, dried morels, violet candies, truffle, moss, and Russian leather, with an unusual background of bancha tea, abaca, and jute fibers. Full of personality and unquestionable quality.

 

Palate: Its apparent fragility and lack of color transform into solidity and balance. Firm and expressive in every phase: caressing to the touch, vibrant on the palate, and exceptionally fine as it flows. Its duration and persistence are hard to believe. While a classic Rioja, it offers something more than the Prado Enea of the same period, combining power with lightness. Fresh, enveloping, and as weightless as it is concentrated.

 

Commentary:
An extraordinary wine that captures the pinnacle of the 1973 vintage. It achieves a rare harmony between intensity and ethereal lightness, surpassing even its famous stablemates in personality and grip.

 

Personal Score: 98
Tasting Group Average: 97