Macán Classic 2019 (Vega Sicilia & Rothschild)

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€49.90
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93+ points Robert Parker and 93 points from James Suckling

What can you expect from a joint venture between Château Lafite-Rothschild and Vega Sicily, two of the most extraordinary wineries in the world? Macán is simply “the most anticipated project of recent years”, in the words of critic Robert Parker and his magazine The Wine Advocate. After more than a decade of research since, in early 2000, they decided to form this joint venture, these two venerable wineries finally founded Bodega Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicily in 2009. The aim is to produce wines that recapture the elegance of Rioja from the 1960s and 1970s, preserving its purity and precision, but without the opulence found in more modern Riojas. With the help of expert Fernando Remírez de Ganuza, the partners purchased vineyards in excellent locations, with old plants and low yields — including some planted in 1920! three years in the bottle — when it was finally ready to be sold, in the style of Vega Sicily. The result of a partnership between two large wineries, between Pablo Alvarez and Benjamin de Rothschild in 2003. At that time, Benjamin was looking for help to invest and invest. produce wines in Spain, so Pablo agreed to become a partner in the new venture.

The region chosen was Rioja, where both recognized the great potential – still unexplored – of the area, admiring many of the wines produced there. After a few years, the two purchased vineyards in the best locations in Rioja, producing two iconic wines of the house, in the classic Bordeaux style – Macán and Macán Clásico.

Macán's philosophy is to produce wines that reflect the particularities of the place. The Macán is, quite simply, the most anticipated project of recent years, according to Robert Parker. This is a red wine made with the Tempranillo grape that, in the first harvest, received 93 points from the critic, with the comment “clean, powerful and modern”.

The second wine is Macán Clásico 2017, vinified since 2016 in the new "cuverie" that allows a more precise extraction for each plot fermenting in stainless steel. In 2017, they reduced new oak to 50%, and 10% of the volume was aged in American oak barrels worked by Vega Sicilia coopers. They were also more selective with press wine. They made everything smoother, and the wine has a creamy and smooth quality, ripe, without excess, a little in the style of the 2015, with finer tannins, fine thread and texture and a long, dry and soft finish.