Home > What We're Drinking Now
A Spanish Red for the Chinese New Year
Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga 1998
A friend organized a BYO dinner at a local Chinese restaurant to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. We were about a dozen people, with a wide assortment of wines, including many Champagnes and Rieslings.
Someone brought a Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga 1998, a Tempranillo-based red made in a modern style from one of Rioja’s traditional estates. With more than 10 years of age, it still had power and intensity, but its aromas and flavors had evolved to a complex mix of dried cherry, tobacco and spice. I rated it 92 points, non-blind.
Better yet, it was an ideal match for the tea-smoked duck, just one of the many dishes we enjoyed that evening.
WineSpectator.com members: Read the original blind-tasting review for Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga 1998 (90, $55).
• Plus, get our quick list of Top Values among Spanish reds.
