Description

Macán is a modern and very personal interpretation of the finest and most expressive wines in DOCa Rioja. It is a commitment to refinement, elegance, complexity and power. It is the flagship brand of Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, the joint initiative launched in 2004 by Tempos Vega Sicilia and Compagnie Vinicole Edmond de Rothschild.

2009 was the first vintage to be released. Expertise, dedication, patience and a desire to improve have all contributed to the development of a project that today boasts 100 hectares of top quality vineyards and state-of-the-art winemaking facilities that combine technology, tradition and innovation.

Macán is made exclusively from Tempranillo grapes. The fruit comes from a painstaking selection of old plots on elevated terraces and poor, gravelly, clay-limestone soils.

The grapes were rustic when we tasted them in September 2019, but the 80 litres of rain helped to polish this texture. We had to be very careful to avoid overripe grapes and to find the right al dente moment to harvest the fruit. It was a vintage of very gentle, almost infusion-like fermentations, avoiding excessive extraction of the press wines and polishing them before the blending stage. In an attempt to tame the wine, we also reduced the use of barrels in favour of foudres.

The 2019 Macán is full-bodied, juicy, firm and brooding. It is a vintage with great potential to develop.

General information

Alcohol by volume

14 %

Variety

Tempranillo

Average age of vineyard

40 years

Vineyard surface area

100 ha (San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Labastida, Ábalos, Navaridas and Elvillar)

Planting density

3,333 plants ha

Altitude

500 m

Yield

4,000 kg ha – 28 Hl ha

Harvest

Manual, in 12 kg boxes, from 26 September to 9 October

2019 Vineyard cycle

2019 was a dry year. The lack of rain in May, June and July affected the performance of the vineyards and was accompanied by slightly above average temperatures, even in autumn and winter. In fact, it was the warmest year of the decade, with some days exceeding average temperatures, and a heatwave at the end of June and beginning of July, with unusually high temperatures of over 40 ºC.

The entire ripening period was affected by the drought and the berries developed very slowly. However, the 80 litres of rain that fell in the first fortnight of September quenched the vines thirst and the fruit began to swell rapidly.

Eventually, the weather was favourable for the harvest, which took place throughout the region with mild conditions, little variation in temperature and no fog or rain to jeopardise yields.

Storage, serving and drinking window

This wine is suitable for drinking now, but it can be cellared for 15 years if stored in optimal conditions: 12-14 ºC 54-57 ºF and 60 % relative humidity.

Best served at 18 ºC 64 ºF.

Production

87,339 standard Bordeaux bottles, 2,583 Magnum, 112 Double Magnum, 38 Imperial and 6 Salmanazar.

Year bottled

August 2021