Bodegas Muga Aro

Very intense, black-cherry colour almost opaque, dense robe and purple hues. Sensations of concentration and depth, with loads of nuances which will be heightened by the bottle ageing, and which will become more marked with the passing of time. The bouquet brings fruit to the fore, recalling red fruit and small, very ripe wild berries (blackberries, redcurrants, wild strawberries…), floral (violet petals) and mineral (graphite, iron) notes. Spicy hints of cinnamon and black pepper from the ageing. With the oak very well integrated which displays the high quality of the selected wood. Potent structure on the palate, full-bodied with firm tannins of great elegance and quality, balanced by splendid acidity. It gives a sense of solidity with no cracks or sharp edges, hearty, with great balance and a sensation of freshness. Full of flavour, supple and broad ranging reminders of fruit, minerals and spices in the mouth aromas. The sensations on the bouquet are reproduced, but perhaps sharper and better defined. A long, full, elegant finish.

The Arzuaga winery is in Valladolid, in the heart of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin. The wines come from La Planta, an estate belonging to the Arzuaga family in Quintanilla de Onésimo, in the province of Valladolid. This is an excellent location for vine-growing. There can be no doubt that Arzuaga wines are made based on three premises: the soil, the climate and the orientation of the vineyards. The local flora and fauna coexist perfectly with the vines in La Planta. The flora includes pines, holm oaks and savin juniper, and, among the animals are wild boars and red deer. This coexistence clearly shows the love the Arzuaga family feels for the natural world. The estate covers 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) in a wonderful location in the heart of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin area: its Golden Mile. It was at the beginning of the 1990s when, after buying La Planta estate, Florentino Arzuaga began planting vines, building the winery and, of course, making wine...