Much like watches, some amazing wines are not necessarily those that everyone knows and only those that really know will recognize certain names, just like they’ll point out watch references or the metal composition of certain particular timepieces. When it comes to the AP Royal Oak Offshore 44 in platinum, only if you really know, you’ll be able to call out its platinum nature and the same happens with the Macán wine by Vega Sicilia.

While most epicureans will quickly recognize the ‘Unico’ or the ‘Valbuena No. 5’ from Vega Sicilia, only those that really know will suggest other wines also produced by Vega Sicilia like ‘Pintia’, ‘Alion’ or ‘Macán’.

Macán was first launched in 2012 and the last vintage currently available in the market is 2017 which was bottled in August of 2019. Macán emerged from the heart of Rioja unlike other wines from Vega Sicilia that come from the Spanish wine regions of Ribera del Duero or Toro. To make this exceptional wine, Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild and Vega Sicilia —two of the world's great names in wine— have joined forces to create a wine exclusively made with Tempranillo grapes, resulting in a deep and elegant wine that has been aged for 15 to 18 months in French oak barrels. A wine that searches for harmony by turning to its roots. The nature of its origins gives it a special elegance, a lingering mark, wrapping it in an unforgettable balance of sensitivity and expressivity.

Macán and Macán Clásico are the joint vision that two great names of the wine world, Rothschild and Vega Sicilia, have of La Rioja. Macán is produced in limited quantities clearly specified in each individually numbered bottle, much like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 44 in platinum with its individual case number. For the Macán 2015 vintage, a total of 74,247 Bordeaux bottles, 2,563 Magnum, 116 Double Magnum, 37 Imperial, and 5 Salmanazar have been produced.

When it comes to Macán, the 2015 vintage marks the year in which the grapes were hand-picked and it wasn’t until 2017 that the wine was bottled after almost two full years of French oak barrel aging. After bottling, the wine is aged in the bottle for another three years before it makes it to market. This wine is ready to drink now holding a potential ageing window of approximately 15 to 20 years if kept in ideal conditions.

Macán is a modern yet very traditional Rioja wine. Complex, bold, and high in tannins, Macán has a superb finish with ‘no bite’ on the throat regardless of its 14.5% alcohol by volume. Macán is a totally unexpected wine experience that doesn’t come with the usual Vega Sicilia price tag, which seems to be a barrier to entry for many. Macán is dense but light at the same time, if that is even possible. Paired with cheese is delighful and paired with meats or a heavy dish like a truffle pasta is simply out of this world.

On the nose, this is not your typical Rioja wine and on the palate, this feels more like a Ribera del Duero wine with strong oak notes and a boldness present in that ‘terroir’. Once you take the first sip, Macán is very reminiscent of other Vega Sicilia wines regardless of the completely different ‘terroir’ that this wine comes from and the price point.

With evolving notes that range from blackberry to dark chocolate and a strong oak presence, Macán 2015 is a wine that will surprise you in a very pleasant way. Better when paired with an understated timepiece like a Royal Oak Offshore 44 in platinum and with a decadent meal. Enjoy sybarites!

For more info on Vega Sicilia click here.