Muga, Prado Enea Gran Reserva Rioja 2010

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

I was really looking forward to the 2010 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, as I've seen a very good improvement in this cuvée in the last few vintages, and 2010 is one of the more-balanced vintages of recent times. This is the most classical among the wines in the portfolio, the one with the longer élevage, a little bit like the wines from yesteryear but with today's knowledge about vineyards and vinification/élevage. This has settled to a blend of approximately 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and the remaining 10% between Mazuelo and Graciano, from the cooler, higher-altitude vineyards, which means they only bottle it every two or three years. In recent years, 2007 and 2008 were not bottled. It ferments in small oak vats built by their own tonneliers, and they like to delay malolactic until the spring by opening the windows so the cold from outside comes into the winery. For the aging, each variety goes into separate barrels racked from newer to older barrels to complete some 36 months or three years. It has very healthy and balanced parameters, and that's what the wine feels like. It's still young. It's never a dark wine, more of a ruby or bright color, and it has a nose of youth, subtle and elegant. But the quality shows in the unbelievable elegance and harmony on the palate, where the tannins are very fine, the flavors are subtle but deep and the length is just phenomenal. This is only medium-bodied, with perfect ripeness and integrated acidity. This should have a very long life in bottle, especially as I had the chance to check the evolution of the 2004 next to this. 90,000 bottles were produced from 2010. The following vintages will be 2011, 2014 (a small bottling) and 2015.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds

(aged for 16 months in large oak vats, followed by three years in French oak barrels) Vivid ruby-red. A highly complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red berries, cherry liqueur, pipe tobacco and mocha, with a smoky mineral overtone lending urgency. Sweet, mineral-laced black raspberry, cherry-vanilla and floral pastille flavors show impressive depth and are complemented by suggestions of spicecake and bitter chocolate and show impressive back-end energy. Combines power and delicacy with a sure hand and finishes supple, sweet and very long, with silky tannins making a late appearance.