Bodegas Muga Muga El Andén de la Estación 2019 750ml

Aromas of ripe summer cherry, coffee bean and dried thyme and sage set the stage for blackberry, Mission fig, butterscotch, herbes de Provence and orange-zest flavors cloaked in silky tannins. Lingering notes of fresh sage leaf and citrus zest remain on the palate. (Mike DeSimone)

Withpleasing purity and expressive character, this Tempranillo-Garnacha blend brings together berries and bramble, anise and spice, and savory notes. Balanced structure keeps the wine approachable while layered. (Luis Gutiérrez)

Cask-aged for 14 months, the 2022 El Anden De La Estacion is a youthful, approachable blend of 65% Tempranillo and 35% Garnacha, the first one made in 2016. Fermented using indigenous yeast, it’s left on the lees to soften the texture and accentuate the red and black cherry and berry fruit. It’s quite delightful and impressively well-made for the price point, full-bodied but balanced. (Luis Gutiérrez)

The 2019 El Andén de la Estación is a new red that takes advantage of the Barrio de la Estación, the train station neighborhood of Haro. It’s a Crianza with less extraction, looking for the elegance and finesse of the classical Rioja wines. It’s a blend of Tempranillo from their younger vines and Garnacha (that they buy) that matured in French and European barrels for 14 months. It’s a quaffable red with lots of Garnacha character (it might represent up to 30% of the blend, by far the highest in Garnacha from the portfolio). It’s floral, juicy and expressive, very open and approachable. This is delicious and still quite complex. 186,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2021.