Muga Rioja Blanco Barrel Fermented 2025

Muga Blanco, Barrel Fermented White Rioja, Spain, 2025      

Grapes: 70% Viura, 15% Garnacha Blanca and 15% Malvasía de Rioja, old vines, hand-picked, 4 months in French oak with lees stirring

Producer Tasting Note:

The 2025 vintage Muga Blanco has a pale, straw-yellow colour. On the nose you can find notes of white blossom, stone fruit and a slight hint of vanilla which adds complexity. On the palate, the lively acidity is perfectly balanced by the body. You can taste citrus notes accompanied by a subtle salinity which gives it greater length. The aftertaste is long, with reminders of citrus and stone fruit, leaving a fresh, elegant sensation.

Critic's Tasting Note:

"The super young 2025 Blanco was cropped from a year with mildew and 15% to 20% lower yields, from vines in Rioja Alta and Alto Najerilla, mostly Viura with Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía Riojana—very little in 2025, because the variety suffered more from mildew. It fermented in large oak vats and 40% in barrel and was kept with lees for four months before being bottled. It has a very balsamic and raw nose, denoting its youth, with notes of bay leaf and a medicinal touch. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.33 and 5.7 grams of acidity. Despite its youth, it feels super balanced, clean and focused, serious and chalky. This wine has grown in the last few years. 250,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2026."  Drink 2026-2029

91/100 points, Luis Gutiérrez, WINE ADVOCATE, March 2026

Estate: The vineyards are located in the Oja and Tirón river valleys of Rioja Alta, but the winery itself is based on the outskirts of Haro, the historical home of La Rioja’s most prestigious bodegas. Bodegas Muga have been a family business ever since its creation in 1932. Over the years, Muga wines have gained international recognition and acclaim. Meticulously faithful to their traditional winemaking methods, Bodegas Muga use French and American oak vats and casks throughout the entire process.

Food Match: Enjoy over the next three years with full-flavoured grilled fish dishes, shellfish, Paella or turkey.