1 Press dossier 1
Índice 1 Presentation 3 2 Biography of the winery 4 3 Terroir 5 -The land: 5 -The Varietals 6 4 The harvest 8 5 The art of wine making 9 -Reception: 9 -Vinification: 9 -Ageing 10 -Bottling 10 6 The wines 11 -VS DE MURUA 2010 12 -MURUA RESERVA 2005 13 -MURUA GRAN RESERVA 2001 14 -VEGUÍN DE MURUA 2004 15 -MURUA BLANCO 2008 16 7 Wine and culture 17 - The library 17 8 Visits 18 9 Contact 19 2
1 Presentation Murua is situated on a small hill just outside Elciego (Álava), heading towards Laguardia. It has belonged to the Masaveu Family since 1974, and is a reference in Rioja Alavesa. Its wines, mostly aged Reservas and Grandes Reservas, are all product of their 110 hectares of vineyards, some of the vines are more than 60 years old. With these older vines, Murua makes elegant wines which express the personality and spirit of this land to perfection. MU RUA R ío E bro 3
2 Biography of the winery In the Masaveu Family, the wine making tradition goes back to the times of Federico Masaveu Ripoll, who in the mid-nineteenth century built his own winery in Castellar del Vallès (Barcelona), where the family is originally form. One century later, the Masaveu Family decided to retrieve the wine making vocation which their ancestors had initiated so many years ago. And so, in 1974 they purchased Bodegas Murua, in Elciego, a town dedicated, and historically linked to vine growing, and home to small, family run wine producers and medium to large wineries alike. Due to the high quality of the wines that are produced there, it is currently one of the most famed towns in the Rioja Alavesa. Since the beginning, Murua has endeavoured to produce premium quality wines with the fruits from its own vineyards, which cover a total of 110 hectares. The winery installations were built with this in mind, and in such a way as to manually receive and select the grapes after the harvest, and to facilitate the elaboration and ageing of the wines in optimum conditions. The building perfectly complements the traditional architecture of the area, The materials employed, such as stone and wood, blend in excellently with the majestic medieval small palaces and ancestral homes which form part of the rich patrimony of the town. 4
3 Terroir -The land: The Murua estate is divided into 8 parcels, each planted with different varietals, depending on factors such as the soil, the orientation, the sunlight exposure, etc., in order to achieve the highest quality possible in each variety of grape. The land surrounding the winery forms an extraordinarily beautiful landscape, the immensity of the vineyards prove a feast for the eyes and the senses are awakened by colours and aromas, as the fruit evolves until harvest time. Murua boasts 110 hectares of its own vineyards, most of which are situated around the winery in Elciego, however it also has plots in neighbouring towns such as Leza and Laguardia. The clay-limestone soil rises 450 m above sea level and the mild Mediterranean climate with Atlantic influences, form a unique terroir which permits the production of elegant and classical wines. The fact that the mainly Tem- pranillo vines were planted around 45 years ago, adds vigour and refinement to its wines, while the younger plants offer an aromatic, fruity and floral richness. ELCIEGO 5
-The Varietals Murua s vineyards are planted with many different varietals, however, Tempranillo, the star of la Rioja, dominates notably. Other native grapes such as Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca complete the list. Tempranillo The varietal par excellence of the D.O.Ca. Rioja, occupying 75% of the vineyards. It is used to produce both young wines and aged crianza wines, due to its great potential for ageing in oak casks. It produces wines with an intense and stable colour, with soft aromas of roses and liquorice, is smooth in the mouth and has moderate acidity. Graciano A very popular varietal in Rioja and Navarra but rare in other regions. It perfectly complements Tempranillo grapes, proves an exceptional varietal for elaborating aged crianza wines and produces a deep red wine with high acidity and intense fresh fruit and woody aromas. Mazuelo A grape which holds a long tradition in Rioja but at present only occupies 3% of the total planted surface. It makes wines with a stable colour, high acidity and abundant tannins, making it ideal for ageing and so, an ideal companion for Tempranillo. A special feature of this varietal are its scarce but powerful aromas. 6
-The Varietals Viura The main white varietal in Rioja. Due to the slow oxidation of its musts, it proves the optimum varietal for making fermented white wines, aged in casks. It produces apple like aromas, in mouth is well structured and has astringent hues. Malvasía In Rioja, this grape is also known as Rojal or Blanca Roja due to the red tone that it acquires as it matures. It produces very interesting wines, with perfumed aromas and a pleasant texture on the palate. Garnacha Blanca This is a very rare varietal in Rioja and has very similar characteristics to the Garnacha Tinta. It produces pleasant wines with high alcohol content and good acidity. 7
4 The harvest Year after year, during the vegetative cycle of the vineyard, Murua meticulously carries out the appropriate cultural tasks, finishing up with a strict control of the maturity of the fruits to determine the optimum time for the harvest. Strictly adhering to the traditional formulas used in Rioja, this task is carried out manually and the grapes are placed in small boxes and are selected and separated depending on factors such as the production area, the age of the vines, the productivity of the vineyards, quality etc.. Harvesting usually takes place at the end of September or beginning of October, however the exact date is always subject to the fickle autumn weather. The white varietals are picked at a later date, in order to obtain a higher alcoholic strength and for the fruit to reach optimum maturity. 8
5 The art of wine making Reception: Once the trailers arrive at the winery, the boxes are weighed, the bunches are placed on a selection belt and the grapes are chosen manually, bunch by bunch. At this stage more samples are taken in order to analyse, parameterise and maintain the grape quality control systems. Vinification: Having de-stemmed and crushed the grapes, they then undergo primary fermentation, after which the must is separated form the solid parts of the fruit. After this process has taken place, the liquid is transferred to large French oak vats (18,000 litres) for secondary fermentation. The fermentation of our white wine takes place in French oak barrels. The fermentation temperature is controlled in order to obtain a clear must, conserving the fruity aromas of our white varietals to the utmost. 9
Ageing Murua essentially produces aged Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, and so, ageing is a fundamental part of the wine making process. In the case of our white wines, fermentation takes place on lees in new French oak Bordeaux barrels, selecting, mixing or discarding the lees in function of the quality of their aromas and flavours, employing the bâttonnage technique. This process is performed throughout the entire winter. The collection of barrels is composed of 2,200 Bordeaux barrels (225 litre), mainly French and American oak and a small amount of Caucasian oak. The barrels are replaced at most every 3 years. Both the choice of wood and the way it is cared for are extremely important factors when it comes to wine ageing. During the ageing process, the red wines are racked using traditional methods in order to supervise each and every barrel. This operation takes place three times during the first year and twice during the second year. Bottling After the ageing process in barrels, Murua wines are further aged in bottles for several months, until they reach an optimum level of maturity and roundness. Murua s bottle cellars are situated in underground caves and can hold 1,500,000 bottles in perfect temperature and humidity conditions. Murua s Reserva wines are aged in bottle for 18 months and the Veguín and Gran Reserva wines for at least 36 months. 10
6 The wines Murua s elegant wines are a clear exponent of D.O.Ca. Rioja. They are authentic jewels, created with exquisite care straight through form the terroir to the bottle. M DE MURUA 2008 Bud break was late due to the low spring temperatures. A cooler summer caused slow ripening and late harvesting, which gave way to balanced, fresh and fruity wines. Apellation of Origin D. O. Ca. RIOJA Quality Group Estate wine Coupage: 92% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano. Comments The grapes came from an exclusive selection of Bodegas Murua s oldest vine- yards in the Elciego region, yielding no more than 3-4 clusters per vine. - Caralciego: 70 years old with a yield of 1.700 kg./ha. - Las Cruces: 97 years old with a yield of 2.150 kg./ha. - Velasquillo: 63 years old with a yield of 3.000 kg./ha. - Las Yecas: 72 years old with a yield of 3.000 kg./ha. Winemaking Malolactic fermentation was carried out in new, highly toasted, French oak barrels. Aging took place in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels for 14 months. Bottled in June 2011, with further aging in bottle until the moment of consumption. Tasting Notes Colour: medium-high intensity, ruby red with cherry red rim. Clean and bright. Nose: The nose is intense with good notes of fruity wine, accented by toasted wood and spices and surrounded by aromas of ripe red fruit. Complex, fresh and expressive. Palate: lively, slightly reactive tannins. Intense and balanced. Long and powerful attack, mouthfilling and well structured. Hints of mineral enhance the expression of terroir. Ageing capacity: 10 years. Alcohol content: 14% Vol. Format: 750 ml. Serving temperature: 15-16º C Production: 4.357 bottles.. 11
VS DE MURUA 2010 VS is produced with a special selection of the native grape varieties Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, chosen for their high expression. Coupage: 92% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 3% Mazuelo. Winemaking: VS continues in the same line that Bodegas Murua initiated with the high-expression wine M de Murua, in a bid to craft lively and fruity wines from their best plots. Murua VS is produced with a special selection of the native grape varieties Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, chosen for their high expression. Ageing 16 months in French (10 %) and American (90 %) oak barrels. Tasting: Colour: ruby red, medium-high intensity, bright and vivid. Nose: ripe red fruit, notes of cocoa and hints of sweet vanilla with balsa-mic touches, good intensity and persistence. Palate: fruity, velvety and powerful at first. Good volume on the palate, offering a clear sense of plenitude. The finish is pleasant with medium per-sistence. Remarkable presence of fruity nuances combined with the sweet tannins of well matured oak. Alcohol content: 14% Vol. Format: 750 ml. Serving temperature: due to the aromatic intensity, we recommend drinking slightly cooled, at between 15 and 16 oc. 12
MURUA RESERVA 2005 The grapes come from the 110 ha. of Murua vineyards located in Elciego and surrounding areas. The average yield was 4.500 kg./ha. Coupage: 90% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo. Winemaking: Fermentation took place at controlled temperature. Maceration was carefully monitored. Malolactic fermentation and racking were carried out in French and American oak casks. Ageing 18 months in 225 litre American and French oak casks with a maximum of 3 years of usage, then a further 36 months in bottle. During maturing and aging our priority is our total respect for the fruit. Racking is carried out using the traditional tap and candlelight method. After the maturing period, the wine is gently clarified and bottled with minimum filtering. Tasting: Colour: ruby red color with medium opacity, bright and clear with lively sensations in the glass. Nose: elegant vanilla and toffee notes with subtle balsamic tones. Warm aromas of ripe red fruit preserves, liquorice and cocoa. Palate: initially silky, voluminous, warm and powerful, with an elegant, persistent aftertaste evoking, once again, balsamic flavours and sensations of fruit preserves. Ageing capacity: 12 years. Alcohol content: 13.5% Vol. Format: 750 ml. Serving temperature: We recommend allowing the wine to breath in the glass. 13
MURUA GRAN RESERVA 2005 Coupage: 85% de Tempranillo, 10% de Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. Winemaking: Each grape varietal is harvested and vinified separately, after malolactic fermentation has taken place in French oak barrels, they are combined in order to undergo a lengthy 26 month aging process in French and Ameri-can oak Bordeaux barrels. The wine is then clarified with egg white. Further aging takes place in bottle for 36 months. Tasting: Colour: medium depth, salmony, cherry red colour. Clear and bright. Nose: red fruits with hints of compote, touches of sweet tobacco and cocoa. Pleasant notes of mild vanilla. Palate: velvety and expressive. Flavours of fruit of the forest preserve and memories of vanilla dominate. Elegant and smooth with a warm and leng-thy aftertaste. Very persistent with a very good complexity. Ageing capacity: 14 years (format 750 ml.) 19 years (magnum format). Alcohol content: 13,5% Vol. Format: 750 ml. Serving temperature: 17-18o C. 14
VEGUÍN DE MURUA 2004 The fruit destined to making Veguin de Murua, are selected from our oldest vineyards, over 60 years old, situated in Murua s best plots. For this reason, production is limited to 2,500 Kg per fruit. The grapes are harvested by experts who discard who discard the damaged and unripe grapes. On arrival to the winery, the clusters are placed on belts to undergo further selection. Coupage: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo. Winemaking: Alcoholic fermentation and maceration last for approximately 20 days. Malola-ctic fermentation takes place on lees, in 18.000 litre French oak casks. The must undergoes malolactic fermentation on its lees in 18,000 litre French oak casks. Aging then takes place in new, 225 litre, French and American oak casks for 22 months. The wine is then gently clarified and bottled with minimum filtering. After which it is aged in the cellar for at least a further 18 months. Tasting: Colour: the wine has medium opacity, an intense ruby red colour, and is clear and bright with red hues, no signs of aging. Nose: from the moment of opening, the wine is elegant and intense, and curious as it may seem, there are no symptoms of reduction. The warm entrance denotes lactic, vanilla and cocoa aromas, evoking very sweet sensations. As the wine be-gins to breathe, it becomes more intense and gives way to hints of fruit preserves and red berries. Palate: initially intense and velvety with an acidic touch, powerful middle palate, reminiscent of cocoa, red fruits and even notes of tobacco. The final phase is intense, warm, pleasant, very long, and also a little confusing, given the intensity we expect the wine to be tannic, and however, it is round, velvety and very elegant. Ageing capacity: 14 years in cellar conditions. Slow decline afterwards. Alcohol content: 14% Vol. Format:750 ml. Serving temperature: 17-18o C. It needs decanting before drinking to develop all its aromas and flavours. 15
MURUA BLANCO 2010 Due to a dry spring and mild summer the grape ripened slowly, developing, fantastic aromatic potential. Area of Origin D. O. Ca. RIOJA Coupage: 50% Viura, 30% Malvasía and 20% White Grenache. Comments Production was limited to 8,000 bottles. This wine was made with grapes from the most select of our oldest vineyards in Elciego and the surrounding area, harvesting was carried out manually and on arrival at the winery, the grapes were once again sorted on belts, cluster by cluster. Winemaking: Following an old traditional formula, fermentation was carried out for 13 days, at controlled temperature in new Bordeaux barrels. Bâtonnage was performed periodically over a 7 month period, during which the fine lees were selected and blended, or discarded, depending on the quality of their aromas and flavours. Tasting Notes: Colour: clean and bright. Light golden colour. Nose: candy, intense and long, showing aromas of chamomile flowers and honey with hints of pears and pineapple in syrup. Palate: powerful attack with very good acidity. Smooth, mouth-filling and elegant mid-palate, evoking pleasant floral notes. The aftertaste is intense, long and harmonious. Ageing potential: 5 years. Alcohol content: 14% Vol. Format: 750 ml. Serving temperature: 4-6º C. 16
7 Wine and culture - The library In the main building of the winery installations, Murua boasts an exclusive library, one of its kind in D.O.Ca. Rioja, storing hundreds of volumes which compile everything written about wine from the 16th century up to today. The library is open to researchers, one can find scientific, literary, juridical and informative texts, essays by the main authors who have written about wine and its cultural and technical scene. At present, there are 2,350 valuable and unique volumes, as well as over 500,000 Christie s and Sotheby s wine auction catalogues. Among the treasures that one can find in Murua s library are very old manuscripts, documents and archives on the history of wine, deeds of sale of vineyards dating back to the seventeenth century, rare specimen books which are now out of print and first editions. We also collect both Spanish and international wine publications, such as Decanter or World of Fine Wine. The library also holds an important newspaper archive, comprised of annual volumes which compile the main articles and news on the world of wine which appear in Spanish press. 17
8 Visits Situated on a gentle slope looking over Elciego, with the Cantabrian Mountains on the horizon and surrounded by old vineyards, the winery offers spacious rooms and personalized dining rooms, adorned with antique furniture and valuable paintings, where one can enjoy typical dishes, pay a visit, have a meeting, or simply browse in the magnificent library which specializes in oenology. The winery also has its own collection of art, paintings, furniture, ornaments. featuring works by prestigious artists such as Tomás Hiepes, Juan de Arellano, Fernando Sotomayor, Valentín Zubiaurre, Francisco Bores, Daniel Quintero and Miquel Barceló. 18
9 Contact Bodegas Murua, S. A. Carretera de Laguardia, s/n - Elciego 01340 - Álava - Spain Phone: 945 606 260 Fax: 945 606 326 www.bodegasmurua.com info@bodegasmurua.com Join us Folllow us Find us Online Shop 19