Muga Aro 2010

Balsam, incense and sandalwood open things up, with dark fruit slow to emerge but worth the wait. Muga's Aro sits at Rioja's modern edge, 18 months in French oak followed by time in vat has shaped a wine that's dense and polished without losing its identity. The 30% Graciano is doing real work here, cutting through the weight with fresh acidity and keeping the whole thing alive. Concentrated and tightly-knit, the texture is a direct product of the 2010 vintage's quality. Oak lingers on the finish, but it reads as backbone rather than excess.