Wine: Prado Enea 1991 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Muga (Haro, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 10% Mazuelo
ABV: 13%
Winery: Bodegas Muga (Haro, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 10% Mazuelo
ABV: 13%
Winemaking:
Fruit is sourced from estate vineyards and small growers in Rioja Alta. This wine represents a selection of plots that are traditionally the last to be harvested, ensuring optimal ripeness. Each varietal is vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in 10,000-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and no temperature control, followed by 12 months of stabilization in large 16,000-liter vats. The wine is then aged for 36 months in 225-liter American oak barrels, mostly crafted in-house. Traditionally fined with fresh egg whites before bottling, it is aged for a minimum of 36 months in the winery’s underground cellars before release.
Fruit is sourced from estate vineyards and small growers in Rioja Alta. This wine represents a selection of plots that are traditionally the last to be harvested, ensuring optimal ripeness. Each varietal is vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in 10,000-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and no temperature control, followed by 12 months of stabilization in large 16,000-liter vats. The wine is then aged for 36 months in 225-liter American oak barrels, mostly crafted in-house. Traditionally fined with fresh egg whites before bottling, it is aged for a minimum of 36 months in the winery’s underground cellars before release.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Ruby-red with medium-high depth; limpid and entirely free of sediment.
Refulgent and brilliant, showing spectacular intensity for its age. With
a bit of imagination, it could pass for a Prado Enea ten years younger.
Broad, tawny (atejado) rim, sharply defined against the meniscus.
Nose:
Highly expressive, with an initial onslaught of power. It shows a
full-bodied character within the "modern" Prado Enea style—perhaps
leaning more toward potency than elegance compared to the earliest
vintages, but currently in a fantastic drinking window. Spicy and vivid,
featuring reduced red fruit and a pronounced backdrop of anise,
Mediterranean scrubland (marjoram, savory),
and a subtle hint of old leather. It gains maturity as it breathes,
gradually revealing dried fruits and creamy toasted notes.
Palate:
Broad, voluminous, and full. Dry and nervous on the entry, it is
extraordinarily spicy and savory. It still possesses significant muscle
and a surprisingly robust structure, supported by high-quality
tannins—ripe yet present.
Commentary:
A magnificent Prado Enea that, alongside the 1989, stands as the finest from this era, hinting at the style of future vintages. Remarkably, it has not yet begun its reductive phase. This is one of Muga’s more overlooked wines, but it is destined to surprise in the years to come as it continues to evolve.
A magnificent Prado Enea that, alongside the 1989, stands as the finest from this era, hinting at the style of future vintages. Remarkably, it has not yet begun its reductive phase. This is one of Muga’s more overlooked wines, but it is destined to surprise in the years to come as it continues to evolve.
Personal Score: 92
Tasting Group Average: 92
Tasting Group Average: 92
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