Macán 2021

Macán is the Rioja red from the joint venture between Benjamin de Rothschild and Vega Sicilia, made at a purpose built cellar near Samaniego in Rioja Alavesa, at a place called San Millán. It is a single variety Tempranillo, the classic grape of the region, grown in the cooler Alavesa zone where limestone soils and altitude give freshness and length. The wine ages for 16 months in foudres, large oak vats whose lower ratio of wood surface to wine gives a gentler, more gradual oxygen exchange than small barrels, refining the tannins and adding subtle spice while keeping the fruit and the site clearly in focus. The colour is deep and bright. The nose offers ripe black fruit, plum and cherry, with tobacco, fine oak spice and a savoury mineral note. The palate is full bodied and structured, with firm but polished tannin and a long, fresh finish that gives it real ageing potential. Serve at 17 degrees, decanted an hour or more before serving, with roast lamb, grilled beef or game.