2020 Rioja Flight (WSET 3 Notes)

2015 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva

Rioja Alta

Simple, clean, unoaked, off dry wine.

70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo & Graciano.  Aged 24 months in French oak and American oak.  

Primary aroma and flavour clusters produce notes of black fruit (cherries, currants) with secondary aromas and flavours of cigar box, cedar with hints of vanilla.  The wine has beautifully balanced acidity and tannins.    

2015 Unica

Rioja Alavesa

97% Tempranillo and 3% Graciano varieties from San Vicente.

Traditional style Rioja Reserva with 48 months minimum ageing (barrel & bottle). Aged 24 months in 60% French oak (30% new)and 40% American oak.  

Primary aroma and flavour clusters of black cherries, currants, and plum with hints of liqourish and lavender and balanced with medium(+) acidity and medium(+) tannin.  Secondary aroma and flavour clusters consisting of cigar box and a hint of vanilla.  Tertiary aromas and flavours are developing with bottle age.  Drink now, or keep this one  in the cellar whilst the forest floor flavours combined with balanced acidity and tannins further develop this spectacular wine!

2015 Lindes de Remelluri

Rioja Alavesa

90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha & 5% Graciano.  Garnacha is a thin-skinned, late ripening variety with red fruit flavours that produce this fruitier, more modern style of Rioja.  The vineyards are situated on soil that is limestone clay-calcareous.  

Aged in French oak for 10 months.  

Primary aroma and flavour clusters of black cherries and currants, as well as red fruit with notes of strawberries (Garnacha).  

14.5% abv. 

Secondary aroma and flavour clusters of older French Oak with notes of cedar and hints of nuttiness, which are developing into hints  of spice and leather tertiary notes.  

Thick-skinned grape with medium acidity.  

Climates with high diurnal range are key to maintaining the acidity level of Tempranillo.  Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa have a combination of higher altitudes and steeper terrain.  Cool sea breezes blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean across the Bay of Biscay funnel south from lowlands of Bilbao into Alta and Alavesa, which provides the high diurnal range that produces the finest Tempranillo in Spain!

Thin-skinned, late ripening variety with black and red fruit flavours.  This variety can be grown in warm and hot climates and has a high tolerance for drought.  

Mazuelo (Carignan) is a late budding, late ripening grape variety, which is high in both tannins and acidity.  It must be hand-harvested, due to its tough stalks, and is susceptible to powdery mildew and downy mildew.