After leaving Muga, the well-known family winery in Haro, Jorge Muga has embarked on a new solo project. In this new venture, he has focused on what he knows best and the places he is comfortable with. Jorge has stayed in the Barrio de la Estación and sources grapes from his favourite places in Rioja.
To do this, he acquired a winery at the entrance to the Barrio that had been closed for two decades. Although it is larger than he would have liked, he has made the most of some good concrete tanks and, above all, its location, which has allowed him to open a lively wine bar to showcase his wines to the world. One of the biggest challenges in the renovation of the building was cutting through the floor to bury the tanks so that he could work with gravity. It was so complicated that Jorge ended up asking the workmen to leave him the saw they had used. It now hangs in the entrance to the bodega and has become its logo.
The name Tihom comes from Jorge's love of old agricultural books. The introduction to one of them says that wine is the link between the land and man, so Tihom is an acronym for the Spanish de la tierra y de los hombres (of the land and men).
Production is just over 50,000 bottles. Although Jorge owns some small plots, he purchases most of the grapes from purveyors, usually under long term agreements. He works in the foothills of the Obarenes, from Sajazarra to Briñas, and in the Sonsierra.
From the outset, he was clear that he needed a distinctive approach. That is why he focused on secondary grape varieties and unusual blends. He was well aware of the qualities of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano from his time at Muga, where they played a key role in aged red wines. Jorge is also a staunch advocate of Garnacha Blanca due to its resistance to heat and drought, as well as wind and frost, making it also suitable for cold areas.
The basic range, which he intends to produce every year, is sold under the THM brand. It includes a Garnacha Blanca white (€16) aged in oak and concrete, which benefits from two to three years in bottle; a vibrant Garnacha rosé (€12) from his own vineyard in Haro -vines are planted on the opposite hillside from the reds seeking the shade of the clusters- which is fermented and aged in concrete; and a Crianza (15,000 bottles, €16) which will soon be sold as a generic red. The latter is a blend once recommended by the Haro Oenological Station for aged red wines (60% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano), which results in a spicy, herbal profile. Each grape variety is aged in a different type of oak. Jorge has started to buy wood at source to dry it in-house.
The premium range is sold under the brand Tihom. It is not made every year because it is not easy to achieve what Jorge looks for in varieties such as Mazuelo or Graciano. The white Tihom (€28) is a blend of almost equal parts Garnacha and Maturana Blanca. The acidity of the Maturana and the fruity profile of the Garnacha Blanca seem to be a good combination to develop over time. The red (€25) is made from Mazuelo and Graciano, with small amounts of Garnacha and Tempranillo. It is a powerful, yet lively, spicy red, with firm and well-integrated tannins that provide plenty of ageing potential. It was made for the first time in 2019 and will not be released again until the 2021 vintage.
The whites and rosés are available in Burgundy-shaped bottles; the reds in Bordeaux-shaped bottles.