Time works wonders

In an interview on Spanish Wine Lover, Fernando Mora, one of the few Spanish Masters of Wine, quoted one of the great classic Barolo producers, Giuseppe Rinaldi, to explain his own views about wine ageing: "Rinaldi said that wines don't age, they become refined?.

We find these words revealing. They lend a new dimension to the practice of storing and maturing wine, which is so traditional in Rioja. The idea of creating more refined wines with extended ageing is very powerful. It enhances the appreciation of older vintages and places them at the top in terms of distinction and uniqueness.

We have always liked old vintage wines. We have been making wine since 1926 and we have it in our genes to appreciate the passage of time and to preserve wines with the greatest potential for ageing. Uncorking a well-preserved old bottle ?be it a red or a rare old white? is always a pleasure. The subtle structure and spectacular complexity on the nose and on the palate bring us back to the real mystery of how wines live on and change with time. The depth, the substance, the magic. The idea is to extend this appreciation and satisfaction to as many consumers as possible.

The secret behind old vintages

Traditionally, Rioja has specialised in cellaring and maturing wines over a long period of time because their unique quality makes this possible: a balanced acidity, as a result of the climate, the soils and the extraordinary affinity of the grape varieties with the Rioja terroir. All of this explains the dedication of our region's wineries to Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, official designations that recognise the practice of maturing wine in the cellar.

Our old vintages

At Bodegas Muriel, our winery in Elciego, we have always prided ourselves on our expertise in producing wines with years of ageing. Proof of this is provided by the Viña Muriel range as well as our Muriel Reserva and Gran Reserva wines. They are hugely successful wines in international markets and among critics, as we have seen in the recent Decanter tasting panel.

We have several old vintages on release right now (or "refined", as Rinaldi would say). In fact, we have just launched in our store an interesting and exclusive pack of three long-aged wines: Viña Muriel Gran Reserva 2006, Marqués de Elciego 2011 and Conde de los Andes 2004.

A historical bottle cellar

We have just mentioned Conde de los Andes. As many readers may know, this is our winery and brand housed in the famous calados of Ollauri. The corridors of this subterranean cellar extend over one kilometre and house 450,000 bottles (your read it right) of every vintage since the end of the 19th century, preserved in the best conditions in terms of temperature and humidity.

Since 2015, this extraordinary and unique wine collection of great historical value is part of Muriel Wines. We are committed to preserving it and reinstating it to its rightful place: alongside the great wines of Rioja and the world. We occasionally release a small, limited selection of wines from one of those vintages spanning more than 10 decades. Right now 2003 and 2004 are available, although some 20th century bottles can be purchased upon exclusive request.