Winemaker Notes
Macán Clásico is a distinguished wine from La Rioja's Sonsierra region, embodying the area's rich winemaking heritage and the freshness of the Sierra de Cantabria terroir. Crafted exclusively from Tempranillo grapes, this wine is celebrated for its elegance, depth, and structure, achieved through meticulous vineyard selection and innovative winery practices. With a recommended ageing potential of 10 to 15 years, Macán Clásico offers a harmonious balance of fruitiness and complexity, making it a true expression of Rioja's viticultural excellence.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
They had to fine-tune the harvest dates of the grapes used for the 2022 Macán Clásico, prioritizing freshness over density, which resulted in their earliest harvest in the region, starting on September 11th, 10 days earlier than in 2021. They were also careful with the aging in oak to achieve good integration of the wood with the wine, a wine that is juicier and rounder, a more hedonistic vintage. It has maybe 1% Garnacha, up to 6% in some lots, picked quite early, or "very green," according to winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga. The wine has contained ripeness and 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.78 and 4.75 grams of acidity. This is the first year when 100% of the yeasts were wild, and they aged the wine in barrels, only 5% American and 30% used, for 10 months, and 25% in stainless steel. The wine shows the warmth and ripeness of the year, especially when compared with the 2021 Macán I tasted next to it, but the results are much better than expected, the nose is harmonious, the palate balanced and the tannins very fine. Overall, it's a triumph over the adverse conditions of the year.
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Wine Spectator
A poised, well-tailored red, this is subtle at first, leading with a pure beam of ripe boysenberry and cherry fruit accented by sweet tobacco and blood orange peel aromatics. Mouthwatering acidity and supple, sculpted tannins support the profile as this expands on the palate, revealing layers of milled white pepper, violet, anise and mineral notes that linger on the finish.
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James Suckling
Structured with fresh blackberries and dark spices. Medium- to full-bodied with some chewy tannins that turn a bit tight-grained in the medium-long finish. Hold to let the tannins soften. Drink from 2027.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.