Muriel Rioja Blanco 2011 (viura, verdejo, sauvignon blanc)
Marlborough SB again, grapefruit, passionfruit, guava, kiwi. Sweet fruits, simple acids, tight freshness, aromatic, full flavour, some richness of texture.
Muriel Rosado 2011 (tempranillo, garnacha)
Some rose water, faint fairy floss Turkish delight, strawberries and cream. Fruit sweet and sugar sweet, broad, flabby and pretty fat on the back palate, solid freshness and drinkability.
Muriel Joven 2011
Very intense aromatics, tight toasty chocolate black fruit plums, a little unstable. Roasted capsicums, tomato, dirty red and black fruits, quite hot and aggressive, almost unpalateable.
Muriel Selecion 2010
Cooked meats, roasted notes, imbalanced oak. Sweet overripe fruit, juicy volatile sweet tannins, meaty and dirty, what you expect ordinary Spanish wine to taste like, only turned up to 11.
Muriel Crianza 2007
Sweet new world American oak nose, vanilla creamy toasty, rubbery red fruits. Bold fruit, plenty of volume, sweet texture on the back palate, great punter wine, pleasing to the masses. Probably good value.
Vina Eguia Rioja Crianza 2008
More restrained but also more intense nose, closed dark fruits, concentrated possibly because of the vintage. Intensity on the palate, quite focused but also powerful and forward in terms of fruit. Better balance and structure, more acceptable.
Muriel Reserva 2007
Aromatically challenged, subdued oak hidden red fruits. Bold and intense, too extractive and stretched out, pummeled and pounded into submission, very little freshness. Is it the fruit or the winemaking? Maybe both?
Vina Eguia Reserva 2007
Sweet black fruit, generous bold mellow, good character and approachability, great drinking but not too oaky.
Muriel Gran Reserva 2004
Quite traditional nose, earthy tarry carmelised balsamic, dense earthy very textured, intense and bold, sweet and sour, layered and old-world.
JME 2008
Bold and hot, stinky and fecal, intense dark fruit, sweet juicy and opulent, quite simple heavy fruit, oak not really influencing.
Real Compania Blanco 2011
Sweaty sweet juicy bright fresh honey, very textured, you can really taste this wine.
Real Compania Verdejo 2011
Soft gentle generous freshness, good focus, tightness balance and acidity, not oppressive or too sweet.
Real Compania Garnacha 2011
New world South Australian black fruits, slightly more savoury than an Aus example. Extremely sweet fruit.
Real Compania Tempranillo 2011
Completely volatile, are my standards too high now? Absolutely no varietal character. I need to get back in the market again, my tastes have become too refined and not realistic.
Muriel Blanca Mesa 2011
Simple alcoholic water. What is the point of drinking this? Oh yeah, it’s alcohol.
Muriel Vino de Mesa 2011
Offensive nose, simple fruit palate. Cheap wine and a three day growth. ‘Nuff said.
Picante Grande Meseta Tempranillo Shiraz 2010
Well balanced clean, good fruit, approachable, good texture, red fruits some spice notes. Good value wine.
Elefante Tempranillo Shiraz 2010
Dense earthy red fruit nose, fresh vibrant fruit, mouth-filling and generous, vibrant fruit. Pure minerality and intensity.
Calo Tempranillo Rioja DOCA 2010
Nice intense dark fruits, very plummy and cherry. Very fruit-sweet juicy fantastically good fruit.
Calo Reserva Tempranillo DOCA 2007
Old world sweet juicy dark earthy black fruits, coconut caramel chocolate. How could you be disappointed with this, great character, really full fruit, soft and generous, structured and delicious.
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| One of many large tanks at Bodegas Muriel |
The Intrepid Wino 