Muga is a byword for quality in Rioja. It's a family estate founded in 1932 and still housed in the historic Barrio de La Estación in Haro. It prides itself on some of the most traditional of red winemaking, as well as the most modern and fresh. As you might imagine Flor de Muga is in the latter camp. The grapes are pure Garnacha, taken from various plots, all planted at 600-750 metres high. In addition, the vines are aged between 70-90 years old, so produce fruit of fabulous intensity.
Couple that with the coolness of the vintage and you can imagine the wine's amazing mineral freshness. Using free-run juice, all lees aged for creamy roundness, it's very citrusy with delicate summer berries. "Possibly the finest vintage to date" (WA).
He travelled the world making wine before an assignment to Spain in 2003. He fell in love with the ancient Garnacha bush vines of Calatayud and now can't drag himself away. This is his 'King of Garnacha' red, from his old, gnarled vineyards (50-120 years old) at a lofty 1000m above sea level. There, the blazing daytime sunshine ripens the grapes, while cold nights draw out the aromas and ensures excellent structure to this long-lived wine. Most other growers have abandoned their vineyards here – it's too hard to make a living. But Norrel teases out the very best from his grapes to make this exceptional, oak-aged red. Dark, spiced, silky and aromatic it's an exciting discovery that shows off the unique and characterfilled wines Spain is famous for.
