September 23, 2016

MUGA "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva 2005

(Rioja, Spain) $50

Muga (which I’ve drunk for 25 years) is one of the top producers of traditionally-styled Rioja. These are wines evocative of rich coffee, old leather-bound books, unlit cigars, cool dirt, spicy incense, and a subtle sweet vanilla-cherry character that is mind-blowingly delicious. Primarily a blend of tempranillo and garnacha, Prado Enea is an utterly silky Gran Reserva that spends four years in barrels of different sizes, before being aged by the bodega for another three years in bottle. It tastes like it costs twice as much as it does, and is a wine that invites surrender.

96 points

Available at Manchester Wine & Liquors

Le Mistral is the French name for an infestation of locusts in the vineyards of southern France. Such infestations occur about once every two decades.

Answer: False.

Le Mistral (named after the Occitan dialect word for "masterly" or "master") is a treacherous, often unexpected, year-round wind that barrels out of the Alps down through France. (It's the sort of wind that can lift you up into the air if you're caught in it.) The mistral can be helpful for grape vines in some ways and detrimental in others. During the growing season if the wind is moderate, it cools down the vines, helping the grapes retain acidity. Near harvest time it can act like a giant blow-dryer, making sure the grapes are free of mold. However, the mistral can be so violent that it can rip vines apart. As a result, some of the best vines planted in the mistral's path, such as those in the southern Rhône Valley, are found in partly sheltered pockets of land and are pruned low to the ground.

A Lucky Accident

This is really an “Oh No” only for a certain server at the British steakhouse Hawksmoor Manchester. It was definitely a “Yes, Please!” for the two lucky customers in question. According to the BBC, two… Continue reading

MUGA "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva 2005

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