Tasting note

The 2009 Macan has aromas of black rather than red fruit, ripe and intense blackberries with some floral notes developing with time. Dense with licorice and some prune flavors, it is spicy and balsamic as well as tighter and more backward. They told me they don't like green aromas, but they also dislike notes of liqueur. Concentrated but managing to keep the freshness, it is a clean, powerful and modern red in need of a little bottle aging to polish its tannins. It will be fascinating to see how these wines develop in bottle, and how the Rioja character, the vineyards, come through with time. 40,000 bottles produced. Drink 2016-2025. Score - 93. (Luis Gutierrez, erobertparker.com, Dec. 2013)