2022 Macan Clasico, Vega Sicilia/Rothschild

They had to fine-tune the harvest dates of the grapes used for the 2022 Macan Clasico, 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 Macan 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. A total of 236,067 bottles, 2,110 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in June 2024. 94 points