Flor de Muga Rosado 2020

Flor de Muga Rosado, Bodegas Muga, Rioja, Spain, 2020 

Grape: 100% Garnacha, hand picked, minimum four months' oak maturation with bâtonnage (lees stirring)

Producer Tasting Note:

On the nose, it appears complex and intense, with aromas of peach, citrus notes and white blossom, along with underlying spicy nuances provided by the wine's ageing in small vats made from fine French oak. On the palate, it is fresh, with good sharp acidity, yet still meaty thanks to the result of the lees stirring. A long finish in the mouth.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"This is the big brother to Muga's popular rosado. Definitely a cut above, the fruit sourced from Rioja's top origin for old-vine Garnacha; fermented in small wooden vats. Subtle aromatics, blossoms in the mouth with white peach and strawberry fruit. A fine texture and a long dry finish. Love the stylish cut glass punt."

92/100 points, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Decanter.com. May 2021

"A touch of ozone accompanies the lemony nose. The palate still sports that lovely lemon streak but adds a powdery, riper notion to counter the freshness. There also is a slight phenolic edge that provides subtle texture. This is fresh, dry and lasting."

92/100 points, FALSTAFF (Austria), July 2022

Flor de Muga comes from a dozen carefully selected plots from the Alto Najerilla district which has a continental climate and vineyards between 70 and 90 years' old. These bush vines, mainly grown on slopes, are at an altitude of between 600 and 750 metres. The vines, planted in terraces of chalky-clay and red ferrous clay soils, are ideal for the garnachas made from these nearly century year old vineyards. 

Food Match: Seafood pasta, rice dishes (Paella or risotto), white meat, summer salads with grilled vegetables, and a varied range of creamy cheeses