Benjamin Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macan Classico 2021 (RP95)

Country:             Spain
Region:               Ribera del Duero Rating:                RP95, JD97
Grape Variety:  100% Tempranillo
Type of Wine:   Red Wine
Bottle Size:        750ml

By Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95
The 2021 Macán Clásico comes from a fantastic year in Rioja; it was the second vintage where they used some Garnacha (maybe 5% this year, they are increasing slowly). It was harvested at the same time as Tempranillo and adds freshness. It was a year of above-average rain, a mild spring and some hail in mid-June that affected seven hectares of vines but didn't touch the rest. The weather was stable during the harvest, with mild temperatures. The wine has a moderate 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and 4.7 grams of acidity. Fifty percent of the volume was inoculated with their native yeast, and fermentation was in stainless steel. Forty percent of the wine matured in new French oak barrels, 30% in used French oak, 5% in American oak and the remaining 25% was kept in stainless steel. It has an herbal twist and a more Atlantic character, reflecting a cooler (less warm) vintage. It's fine-grained, textured and chalky, with very fine tannins and great balance. This is a production of 222,532 bottles, 2,001 magnums and some larger formats. It was bottled in August 2023.

Jeb Dunnuck 97
From the sister property of Vega Sicilia in Rioja, a partnership between the Alvarez and Rothschild families, the 2021 Macan Clasico has unrelenting freshness and is gorgeously aromatic. The vintage conditions were perfect and the wines able to achieve exceptional quality. Here, the Tempranillo is joined by 3% Garnacha, which provides additional brightness to juicy layers of red berry, cigar, and dried herb, with a foundation of supple tannins. Medium-bodied, the oak is well-integrated, interweaving the lilting spice and toast notes from a combination of French and American barrels that aged the wine for 14-16 months. With a long, silky, and finessed finish, it’s drinking perfectly now. Continue to enjoy over the next 10-15 years.