Tempranillo, Muga 'el Andén de la Estación'

This Rioja is classic but approachable — think juicy blackberry and ripe plum layered with a gentle dusting of cocoa and sweet spice. The palate is medium-bodied, smooth, and plush, with supple tannins and just enough oak polish to keep it classy without feeling overdone. The finish lingers with a hint of vanilla and a whisper of smoke.

2021 in Rioja was cooler and more even than the hot vintages before it. That gave Tempranillo brighter acidity and fresher fruit, showing more lift and vibrancy compared to the riper, more structured 2019 and 2020s.

El Andén' is Muga’s younger-vine cuvée, fermented with native yeasts in their signature oak vats. It then spends about 14 months in French and American oak, but the barrels are mostly used rather than new, so the wood frames the fruit without dominating it.

Bodegas Muga is one of the great family-run names in Rioja, founded in 1932 and still fiercely traditional. They’re famous for building and maintaining their own barrels in-house [a rare skill even in Rioja], which means they can fine-tune oak influence with precision. 'El Andén de la Estación' is their nod to the train station district where their winery still sits.

Tempranillo is Spain’s star grape, and Rioja is its spiritual home — but the name itself comes from temprano [early], because the grape ripens earlier than Garnacha and other Iberian workhorses. That early ripening makes it adaptable to a wide range of climates, but in Rioja it takes on its most iconic balance of fruit, earth, and oak.