Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macán (2016)

Macán is a modern and very personal take on the premium quality and highly expressive wines of the DOCa Rioja. It is a commitment to fineness, elegance, complexity and power. And it is the flagship of Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, the project launched by Tempos Vega Sicilia and the Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 2004.

Tasting Notes

95 Vinous
Opaque ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes black raspberry, cherry cola, potpourri and exotic spices, and smoky mineral and vanilla nuances build in the glass. Appealingly sweet, palate-coating red and blue fruit preserve, spicecake, mocha and candied lavender flavors show excellent depth as well as energy and back-end lift. Finishes impressively long, smoky and precise, with polished tannins adding framework and closing grip.

94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Macán saw a new vinification by plot with the introduction of their new fermentation room. The Tempranillo came from selected vineyards from their 92 hectares; it fermented in oak vats and matured in 4,000-liter and barriques (50/50) for some 16 months and was kept in bottle for three years before being released. They think this 2016 is finally the style they were looking for, a wine with density and freshness. 2016 was the first year they vinified and aged from start to finish in the new winery, and they believe that gave them better control over the fermentations. 2016 is a year with more freshness than 2015, and they are trying to achieve wines with more tension and less power and oak than in the beginning. This could very well be the finest vintage of Macán so far. The grapes were picked between September 17th and October 3rd. 87,792 bottles, 2,570 magnums and some larger formats were produced. The wine was bottled in September 2018.Rating: 94(+)

93 James Suckling
Sweet-berry, lavender and blueberry aromas follow through to a full body with round, juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. A little hard now. Try after 2021.

92 Wine & Spirits
This partnership focuses Bordeaux and Ribera del Duero expertise on tempranillo in Rioja. Macán, the flagship wine, launched in 2009, is a selection from high terraces where the soils are gravelly, calcareous and loamy. As the team explores extraction in the context of Rioja tempranillo, they have created a 2016 with powerful tannins and equally powerful fruit, generous and giving, tough and strong. Presenting a deep well of cherry riches along with some bitter chocolate and orange peel notes, the weight and structure of the wine makes it an unusual take on the region’s terroir. Suited to age, it will be interesting to see where this wine lands in ten years’ time.