Bodegas Benjamin Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macan Clasico Rioja DOCa, Spain 2019
VINTAGE : 2019
COUNTRY : Spain
REGION/APPELLATION : Rioja
VARIETALS: Tempranillo
Macán Clásico is an exemplary wine from the Sonsierra region of La Rioja, steeped in centuries of tradition, knowledge and winemaking culture in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria. It conveys the terroir's freshness, fruitiness, liveliness, and delicateness, which provides depth and complexity.
A lot of hard work went into selecting, acquiring, and nurturing 100 hectares of vineyard for this wine since 2004, along with the commendable efforts in the winery since 2009 (when the first vintage was marketed). Furthermore, Tempos Vega Sicilia and Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild have jointly owned modern facilities in the Rioja DOCa region since 2016, where innovation, technology, and wine science converge.
Macán Clásico is made from one variety: 100 % Tempranillo. The grapes come from plots with alkaline sandyclay soils. Concentration and potency were expected with this vintage given the warmer vine cycle, which proved correct, but the 80 litres that fell in September meant the skins radically changed their texture, moving from drier to firmer texture grapes, while remaining noble. A vintage with very mild extractions, almost infusionlike, nature providing everything. We also reduced the effect of the American oak during ageing, leaning towards toasts to provide more freshness.
Macán Clásico 2019 offers a more concentrated, potent expression, while also conserving the zing and fresh nuance from our soils.
" The second wine in the Bordeaux sense is the 2019 Macán Clásico, a more concentrated and powerful wine cropped from a warmer and drier year that was saved by the 80 liters of rain in the first half of September. It fermented in stainless steel with 10% of their own yeasts, and the élevage was 22% in stainless steel and the rest in new and used oak barrels, mostly French but with around 5% of them American, and lasted 12 months. It has a moderate 14% alcohol, mellow acidity and good freshness and balance. 2019 was a dry and warm year when they did a soft vinification to avoid harsh tannins. The nose is ripe without excess, and the oak is neatly integrated. The palate is juicy and round, with fine tannins and a velvety texture." The Wine Advocate 93+