Chris England

9.5

Fab 05 top Rioja @ £70-100 in a great year & a fav of mine - will keep improving but great now 😉 Awesome 2020-30 👍

📍 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2005

🏵 95 points w/ 96-98 potential

🍇 89% Tempranillo & 11% Mazuelo

🍷 Deep ruby

👃 Soft oak through dark spiced berries, currants & cherry with creamy vanilla, light smoked tobacco, leather, mocha, coconut, mint & balsamic into choc cherry gateaux w/ a bit of date coming through

👄 Med+ body of deluxe silky smooth creamy stewed rich dark cherry driven fruits all perfectly balanced w/ thick cocoa cream, vanilla & balsamic touch

🎯 Long seductive oak, cocoa, balsamic & dark fruit cherry boom linger — 2 days ago

Amy Huson

8.9

The best offering at our local bar. Dark chocolate, prune, vanilla, potting soil, and tobacco aromas and flavors. Good acidity, tannins are medium with decent grip. Lacks elegance. I don’t think there is much more aging potential here, maybe 5 years max. 13.5% alcohol. Not bad, we enjoyed it with Manchego cheese and Jamón serrano. Nice, just not amazing! — 6 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Deep ruby core and reasonably wide ruby rim. Slightly Deeper than the 07. Starting to show more complexity and development also. More undergrowth , tobacco. There is a sweet ripe strawberry/ blackberry compote note. Some mineral once again. Lovely ripe blackberry fruit, plum , very long and complex . Tannin is evident, though ripe it is fine grained and hangs on the finish. Acid is also higher than the 07. A big wine , really needs more time . Very complex mineral and coffee edged finish. Best of the 3 so far. — 13 days ago

Jeff Savigny

9.1

Made it for happy hour by 2 minutes, so $24 for this QPR stunner. Pairing with lamb chops and steak churrasco. Booya for Bulla! — 2 days ago

Chris England

9.6

Another beauty from @lariojaaltasa that I nabbed from @gabbymeetswine @vilaviniteca for €150 and it’s singing 😍 check Instagram for pics of cork & wine ⏩ This is at peak drinking 🕺

📍 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 1985

🏵 96 points

🍇 85% Tempranillo w/ Mazuelo & Graciano

🍷 Slight garnet clear ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Smokey charred oak in a damp cellar through mashed earthy cherry & old leather w/ balsamic, cocoa, herbs & vanilla expressed perfectly in a Zalto Burgundy glass

👄 Med body of super silky fine creamed cherry bathed in cocoa w/ red berry tones & light balsamic

🎯 A very long balsamic cherry cocoa linger that just goes on and on 😍 w/ a touch of dry oak as it dissipates into mocha
— 7 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Bright Ruby with fresh red fruit aromas and a touch of oak and spice. On the palate cherry and blueberry with pepper and cacao spice with lively acidity and good balance. Fine tannins, medium finish ending with oaky spice character. Nice! Good value! — 17 hours ago

Chris McClellan

9.3

Wow..great rioja...vanilla and dill, dried red fruit, leather and tobacco and dried earth...tannin and acid in great balance and kept getting more complex as the wine sat in the glass..could age longer but a zinger now... — 6 days ago

with Deb and Gregory

Chris England

9.5

This is a super hard Rioja to get your hands on (think Rocking Horse 💩) & is Mugas top wine only produced in top vintages so I was quite happy to find this & some 2015 as only around 5,600 bottles 😮 it’s not cheap at £120-£155 but I’ve been chasing for ages! Having had the amazing Prado Enea & Torre Muga in 09 I couldn’t wait 😊 The verdict? It’s a monster 😈 but will benefit 5-10 years more age 😉

📍 Bodegas Muga - Aro 2009

🏵 95 points w/ 96-98+ potential 👀

🍇 70% Tempranillo & 30% Graciano

💥 14.5% ABV

💨 4hrs+ or 15 mins in #vSpin

🍷 Deep opaque blackened ruby

👃 Double shot mocha through more coffee, black cherry & blackcurrant w/ blueberry, liquorice, dark red roses, violet & drowned red fruits w/ a touch of balsamic & vanilla cream

👄 Med++ intense loaded dark fruit body of black cherry, blackcurrant & blueberry bathed in cocoa mocha cream w/ a hint of balsamic & liquorice in fine slight dry tannins & mineral

🎯 Long deep dark fruit annihilation w/ a red fruit undertone & big mocha liquorice slight dry mineral kiss — 13 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

The bodega is located in the Carravacas estate (Laguardia) in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa. 100% Tempranillo and aged in 100% French Oak. Dark red with aromas of sweet Red berry fruits and beautiful floral spice. On the palate raspberry and blackberry flavors with vanilla spice and notes of cacao. Well balanced with lively acidity, soft tannins will only get better, lingering ending with sweet fruit and spice character. Nice! Tasting Sample! — 11 days ago

Joe Gillies

9.2

Still too young and needs more time...still fairly primary with dark fruits and touches of leather, tobacco, and earth. Shows promise. In a few years, will be even better! — 9 days ago