2020 Sierra Cantabria Mágico

At Sierra Cantabria, or the Riojans, they are always in search of authentic and pure wines that express their origin, landscape, culture, tradition, ancestors, family, and personal experiences. In this wine, Sierra Cantabria Mágico, all these qualities come together. The Sierra Cantabria Mágico comes from a small vineyard: El Vardallo (also known as Las Sepulturas), measuring only 1.18 hectares, located in San Vicente de la Sonsierra.

Click here for an extensive article about this iconic wine.

It is a vineyard that was spared from the phylloxera crisis at the beginning of the 20th century, and some vines are more than 150 years old. As was customary at the time, a single (small) vineyard contained a wide range of varieties, both red and white. Among the red wines are 65% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 2.5% Graciano, 1% Petit Bouschet, and 1.1% others; among the white varieties are 4.4% Calagraño, 3.2% Turruntés (Rioja), and 2.8% Viura (Macabeo).

The Magico is produced using very traditional Rioja viticulture techniques. The vineyard is worked entirely by hand and plowed with horses. The Eguren family uses biodynamic techniques to ensure sustainability and the maintenance of the soil microbiome. The vineyards are naturally fertilized every two years. The vineyard soil consists of sandy loam with little organic matter, and beneath the subsoil there is a cap of iron and calcareous clay, which is crucial for water retention. The bedrock is also present at the same depth. The climate is continental with Atlantic influences moderated by the Sierra Cantabria mountain range.

All grape varieties were destemmed by hand and rigorously sorted. All varieties except the Garnacha were lightly crushed and macerated in small wooden vats. The Garnacha was fermented and macerated separately in a wooden vat. Maceration lasted 21 days for the blended varieties and 15 days for the Garnacha. Malolactic fermentation took place in new French oak barriques. The blended varieties underwent malolactic fermentation in one 500 L and four 225 L vats. The Garnacha underwent malolactic fermentation in a 500-liter vat.

Sierra Cantabria Mágico represents the Eguren family's desire to produce a superior wine from Rioja, just as they do with their Teso La Monja. Due to their long history with incredible single-vineyard wines, they felt it was a challenge to keep improving and saw that surpassing that quality was possible when they discovered the El Vardallo vineyard. Vineyards this old simply almost no longer exist in Rioja, and the qualities are countless. The grape blend is an incredible treasure trove of authentic varieties, each adding character and complexity to the final wine.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes about the 2020 (the 2021 has just been released and reviewed): " This wine seems to be from another planet—one where magic occurs in reality ."

Fun fact: Cult wines are often tampered with these days, and this wine is no exception. We are the official importer, and you can verify via the Sierra Cantabria website whether you have an official bottle supplied by an importer. This ensures you do not accidentally receive a counterfeit or refilled bottle. You can do this at: http://www.sierracantabria.com/en/wineries/vinedos-sierra-cantabria/sierra-cantabria-magico/

The Magico from Sierra Cantabria has a fresh cherry color in the glass. On the nose, the Magico has beautiful notes of blueberry, tobacco, cedarwood, cherry, and mineral and toasty undertones. On the palate, the Magico red wine is very intense, super elegant, and complex with silky tannins. The wine has beautiful smoky notes due to the new French oak. Velvety smooth on the palate. Excellent balance between the acidity and the ripe tannins with a very long finish. The wine has received unanimously great reviews. This is a collector's item.