Benjamin de Rothschild - Vega Sicilia Macán Rioja Tempranillo 2020

Macán represents a modern and deeply personal interpretation of Rioja DOC a wines, embodying finesse, elegance, complexity and intensity. It is the standard bearer for Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, a joint project by Tempos Vega Sicilia and Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild launched in 2004. Since its first vintage in 2009, the estate has grown into a 100-hectare property nestled in the hillside of the Sierra de Cantabria, featuring meticulously selected mature

plots and cutting-edge production facilities. From its 106 carefully tended vineyards, Macán crafts wines that capture the richness and elegance of Rioja.

The 2020 vintage, characterised by a warm year with optimal rainfall, yielded grapes of exceptional quality, embodying the estate’s dedication to precision and excellence. Enhanced with a touch of Graciano, Macán 2020 is denser and darker in aromatics than Macán Clásico, presenting black cherries, dark fruits, violets, and elegant oak. On the palate, it is velvety and plush, with layers of sweet spices, pepper, liquorice, and dark chocolate, all counterbalanced by citrus-like acidity and ripe tannins. This vintage exemplifies richness and subtlety, promising to reveal even greater depth with cellaring over the next 10–15 years.

The Vintage

The first part of the 2020 growing season was quite wet, with significant rainfall between March and June, helping to build reserves in the soil. Spring temperatures were high, supporting healthy growth and optimal fruit set. Average temperatures

rose above normal only during the summer months, particularly in the first fortnight of September, when warm south-easterly winds accelerated ripening. These conditions contributed to a vintage that can be described as mildly wet overall.

This starry joint venture was formed in 2004, embarking on a painstaking five year quest to purchase vineyards in the prime fillet of limestone rich soils running east of Haro, before producing its first vintage in 2009. The 92 hectares of old vine Tempranillo that were eventually selected produce fragrant, concentrated fruit on these poor, well drained soils Winemaking, managed as it is by Vega Sicilia, is exemplary, typifying the complex, textural house style while transparently expressing a very different terroir. The results are thrilling.