Bodegas Muga, Rioja Alta, Spain

92 points Wine Enthusuast
Robust and sexy, with smoke, leather and pure berry and plum aromas that make for a sensational bouquet. The palate is up to the precedent set by the nose, as the cherry and cola flavors are outright lovely. For what you get, this is almost a value. It shows us what that Muga can do in a great vintage.

 Production for the 2001 Selección Especial was relatively generous by Rioja standards—around 400,000 bottles—but over time, well-stored examples have become increasingly scarce. Finding pristine, estate-released stock today offers both reassurance and a touch of quiet luxury.

At this price, it represents one of the most compelling mature Rioja buys currently available—a wine with history, character, and immediate drinkability, yet still years of life ahead.

As always, allocations are limited and offered on a first-come basis. I would strongly encourage securing a case (or two) while it remains available—you’ll thank yourself each time you open one.

In the Glass

Now fully settled into its prime, the wine pours a refined garnet with brick hues, immediately hinting at its graceful maturity. The bouquet is richly layered:

Dried cherry, fig, blackberry compote

Leather, pipe tobacco, cedarwood

Subtle notes of truffle and warm spice

On the palate, it strikes a beautiful balance—medium-full yet effortlessly elegant, with resolved tannins and vibrant acidity carrying flavours of dried red fruit, cocoa, orange peel, and sweet spice. The finish is long, savoury, and delicately mineral, lingering with a quiet confidence that only top Rioja can deliver.

This is a wine not just to drink—but to savour slowly, over conversation and a good table. It will continue to reward through 2030 and beyond, though it is already in a wonderfully satisfying place today.

At the Table

Few wines are as versatile and charming with food. It excels with:

Rosemary-roasted lamb, braised oxtail, or  slow-cooked beef

Duck with cherry or plum reduction

Grilled mushrooms, truffle dishes, or aged Manchego

It is a bottle that elevates both simple comforts and more refined cuisine—making it as suitable for weeknight indulgence as for special occasions.

The 2001 vintage in Rioja Alta is widely regarded as one of the region’s modern benchmarks—rated Excelente and prized for its balance, purity, and longevity. From this outstanding harvest, Muga selected only their finest lots for the Selección Especial—a cuvée that quietly overdelivers, sitting just beneath the famed Prado Enea, yet often offering equal pleasure at a far more approachable price.

The blend is classic yet beautifully composed:

Tempranillo (~70%) at its core

Lifted by Garnacha

With touches of Mazuelo and Graciano adding  structure and aromatic intrigue

Crafted entirely in-house—from fermentation with native yeasts to ageing in Muga’s own coopered barrels (60% French, 40% American oak)—this is Rioja in its most authentic and refined form. 

Over two years in oak, followed by traditional egg-white fining and extended bottle ageing, have shaped a wine that is seamless, polished, and deeply expressive.