2000 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva

[dananne]

Just today I lamented on the phone with a board regular that it's sometimes difficult to locate a past post. I'm almost certain that I've posted on this one in the past, or at the very least the 97, 98, 99, 01, or 02. Can't find it, though, so I'm posting new.

Muga is one of our "old reliables," a traditionalist producer with their regular Reservas, while following a more "New World" path with their higher-end lines like the Torre Muga. Always good juice, though. Way back in the day, the '97 was one of the first wines that made us stand up and take notice, an instant favorite as we started exploring the world of wine more seriously, and we've since always had several vintages in the house. This '00 was solidly built around plums, somewhat tart and sour cherries, and dried fruits. A bit of leathery smoke, as well. Nice afternoon quaffer on a chilly, rainy Atlanta winter Sunday. 13% alc. It ran about $15. It's our last of the '00s, though. So, on to the newer vintages! If anyone has this in their cellar, however, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. I'd say it holds up for the next 5-7 before starting a decline. These old style Rioja Reservas can be surprising, however, in that they keep hanging around for far longer than one would expect. We just killed the last of our '97s earlier this year, and it wasn't even close to fading.

[TheEngineer]

DA,

I recently saw a bottle of the Muga Reserva ..I think it was called special Selection or something of the sort. Have you tried that one and it is worth twice the price?...around $42CDN?...heading back to Beantown tomorrow.

[dananne]

If it's the '01 Seleccion Especial, then probably. It runs about $40 around here, is a full-bodied, rich, monster of a balanced wine, and should age for more than a decade. If you drink it sooner, decant for an hour. FWIW, RP gave it something like a 94, if memory serves. I've got just one in my cellar, preferring multiple bottles of the plain, ole Rioja Reservas.