With just under 2,000 bottles and a retail price set to suit very few budgets, Mágico is perhaps the most intriguing and elusive of the Eguren family’s top Rioja single-vineyard reds.
It is also one of the wines that has taken the longest to develop. While there was no doubt about the unique character of the vineyard it comes from, a plot planted in the early 20th century with a mixture of grape varieties, the style didn't materialise until the idea of making a single-varietal Tempranillo was abandoned in favour of a field blend.
Field blending has not only been enthusiastically adopted to vinify old traditional vineyards. It is increasingly popular in new plantings because of the added complexity of combining varieties directly from the field and its suitability in the face of climate change, particularly when the blend includes high-acidity white varieties, as in the old days.
In addition to the effects of microclimate, soils, exposure or elevation, the peculiarity of field blends comes from the unique mix of varieties found in each vineyard. This can be the result of many different circumstances like the winegrower's own preferences and expertise, the availability of plant material or the constraints of a subsistence economy.
As for Mágico, the field blend is 65% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and small amounts of other grapes. Whilst the white varieties Calagraño, Turruntés and Viura account for 10%, Graciano barely represents 2.5%. The rest, including Petit Bouschet, Garnacha Tintorera and Moristel, is almost insignificant.
Marcos Eguren, winemaker and co-owner of the Sierra Cantabria Group, pointed out that in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, the village in Rioja Alta where the vineyard is located, Garnacha used to be planted in the highest areas even though it is a late ripening variety. The reason for this is that, in an age when work was done by hand and the harvest lasted several weeks, growers tried to pick their grapes in stages. As a result, Garnacha finished ripening once the rest of the varieties had been harvested.
Rioja connoisseurs will surely be pleased to learn that Mágico comes from El Bardallo, one of the most sought-after sites in San Vicente. It already appears on the labels of some of Rioja's most exciting young producers like Abeica, José Gil or 3 Vignerons (La Esquirla del Bardallo). Mágico does not refer to the site on the label, but it is mentioned in the literature accompanying the wine, where it is spelled ‘Vardallo’, with a ‘v’. The reason for this, according to Marcos Eguren, is simply that they took the name as it appeared in the vineyard's title deeds.
The Eguren family purchased the vineyard from a retiring employee in the 1960s. Probably planted between 1904 and 1906, it is thought to be one of the first vineyards to be grafted onto American rootstock in San Vicente after phylloxera. It followed the same philosophy of blending varieties that was common before the plague.
Covering around 60 hectares, El Bardallo is one of the various ravines or gullies originating in the foothills of Mount Toloño -another example is La Canoca, where the Eguren family grows the vineyard destined for San Vicente. The Mágico vineyard is close to the Camino de la Sepultura (the area is also known as Las Sepulturas, the graves in English). It is a 1.18 hectare plot with a planting pattern of 1.70 x 1.70 metres. Tilling is done with animal traction and biodynamic practices are in use. It is a cool, high area surrounded by woodland, with no possibility to plant beyond the plot’s boundaries, and it has its own microclimate. This is why Marcos Eguren considers it to be at the limit of vine-growing. Significantly, with very few exceptions, the grapes are usually harvested in October.
The soil is shallow, with rocky outcrops reaching the surface. The sandy-silt-clay texture results in average yields between 2,500 and 3,000 kilos per hectare.
Compared to the other Bardallos we know, in which Tempranillo is co-planted with varying amounts of white grapes, Mágico has the highest percentage of Garnacha in the blend. In fact, Garnacha is the only variety that Marcos Eguren leaves out of the co-fermentation process because he thinks it needs four or five more days to reach full ripeness. “I don't like the green notes, or the astringency it can impart to the wine,” he points out. The Garnacha is also aged separately in 500-litre barrels, while the rest of the wines rest in 500-litre and 225-litre barrels -in all cases with as little toasting as possible. The final blending takes place during the last racking, four or five months before bottling. In total, Mágico is aged in barrels between 24 and 26 months.
Throughout 2024, Sierra Cantabria has held three presentations and vertical tastings to showcase the first vintages of Mágico that have been just released. The last one, held on 16 October at Desde 1911 restaurant in Madrid, gave us the chance to taste all the vintages side by side of a wine that it is not easy to try, even for wine professionals.
A change in the sales approach explains the irregular release of the different vintages. The original idea was to launch 2010 after a significant period of bottle ageing, but the family eventually decided to sell the 2016 en primeur, and continued to do so in successive vintages - The 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 vintages that remained in the cellar -2013 and 2014 were not made- have now been officially released, along with a limited number of bottles of all the vintages produced until 2021.
This fact, together with the appreciation of the wine since its launch, explains the difference in price between the 2016 sold en primeur for €170 (2023 was sold for over €400 this year) and the vintages being released now at a price according to the extra time spent in the cellar.
It is important to bear in mind that, of the approximately 2,000 bottles of Mágico, only 1,200 are available for sale. The rest remains in the cellar, with some batches being allocated amongst the family's shareholders.
The sales policy differs from other established family wines over €100 like La Nieta, El Bosque or Amancio in Rioja, and Alabaster in Toro. In fact, Mágico belongs to a rather exclusive group, alongside top Rioja vintage blend Sierra Cantabria CVC and Teso La Monja, the jewel in the crown of the family's venture in Toro (Castilla y León).
According to Gabriel Quezada, Sierra Cantabria's national sales director, these wines have been designed with “a super-premium status, a discriminating price and traceable authenticity against counterfeiting, which particularly affects Asian markets.”
Traceability is ensured by means of a unique code printed on each bottle, which can be authenticated on the Sierra Cantabria website. The system allows successive exchanges to be registered and each bottle to be tracked from the moment it leaves the winery.
The aim of these exclusive wines is for private customers to gradually increase their weight of en primeur allocations. This was evident at the tasting, given the profile of the attendees, which included sport celebrities with a passion for wine, like soccer star Luis Figo and tennis player Feliciano López.
Below are our impressions of the wines. They are listed in tasting order, from youngest to oldest -Marcos Eguren likes to go from firmer tannins to smoother textures as a result of bottle ageing. Harvest dates have also been included to give a better understanding of the profile of each vintage, as well as recommended retail prices.
The tasting was superb. Our favourites were 2021, 2018, 2016 and 2010, most of which were fresh, vibrant vintages. Private clients, however, embraced the more structured wines from 2011, 2015 and 2017, but we all agreed on the extremely elegant 2010.
With its lighter colour, Mágico is perhaps the most subtle of the Eguren wines -it is no coincidence that it is presented in a Burgundy-shaped bottle. It stands out for its aromatic, evocative character, marked by red fruit, forest nuances and aromatic herbs (bay leaf, scrubland...), with Garnacha playing its role. The oak is subtle or almost imperceptible. The palate is juicy and lively, with spicy notes. It feels even crisp in cool vintages.
The wine owes its name to Fernando Falcó, Marquis of Cubas and member of the board of directors of Sierra Cantabria until his death in 2020. He was so impressed when he tasted it that he said there was something magical about it. Antonio Galloni, a former critic for The Wine Advocate and founder of Vinous, wrote that the 2020 felt like a wine from another planet, “one where magic occurs in reality."
Mágico 2021. If there is a genuine, age-worthy successor to the 2001 vintage, this is 2021. The wine is excellent and it is already grandiose. "The 2021 can be drunk early or laid down. In such a great vintage, the wines are great from the very beginning," said Marcos Eguren. He is absolutely right. The wine has plenty of everything: crunchy red fruit (raspberry, pomegranate), aromatic herbs, spices, and an attractive wild side coming probably from Garnacha grapes. On the palate it is deep and mouth-filling without feeling heavy; on the contrary, it is fresh, and seductive, and so long that it seems that it could go on forever.
Harvest dates: 12 October Garnacha; 21 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 98
Recommended retail price: €605
Mágico 2020. Although it was a challenge to taste it after 2021, the 2020 vintage held its ground. 2020 was a very short vintage affected by mildew. The rain in spring made it very difficult to work the vineyards, and pollination was uneven. The summer was very dry, but some mild rains in September led to a good ripening level. We found less complexity, but the wine retained its juicy profile, even its sexy edge; a slight bitterness in the tannins did not hinder the long, expressive finish. Very good potential.
Harvest dates: 9 October Garnacha; 4 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 95
Recommended retail price: €630
Mágico 2019. In a very dry year but with plenty of water reserves, El Vardallo vineyard showed a remarkable aromatic exuberance and a clear Mediterranean character (bay leaf, rosemary, thyme), that gradually increased in intensity as the wine evolved in the glass. With a fuller mid-palate and shorter length, the wine nevertheless met the brand's expectations. There is a clear effort to retain the character of the vineyard while showing the characteristics of the vintage. The harvest was small and concentrated, with healthy grapes. Temperature variations in the final ripening stage ensured good freshness.
Harvest dates: 11 October Garnacha; 6 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 95
Recommended retail price: €665
Mágico 2018. Another outstanding vintage. We liked the purity, delicacy and almost crystalline definition of the wine, together with an original spicy note reminiscent of curry. 2018 was a fresh, slow ripening vintage that Marcos Eguren understood really well. The wine is less structured but everything fits perfectly: the bright acidity, the beautiful, well-integrated tannins, the long finish... A wine on the verge of fragility, but with a captivating complexity. It may not be as magnificent and long-lived as the 2021, but it showed some of the most beautiful nuances of the vineyard.
Harvest dates: 29 October Garnacha; 25 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 96
Recommended retail price: €700
Mágico 2017. Although the severe frost that hit Rioja in April had little effect on the Mágico vineyard, the wine reflects the constraints of a shorter cycle that led to one of the earliest harvests in this plot. The grapes were picked riper. The fruit is more plum and cherry than the pomegranate that prevails in cooler vintages; black fruit notes are also present. The palate is full, silky and enveloping, with more acidity than expected in a warm year, but less persistence.
Harvest dates: 3 October Garnacha; 30 September the rest of grape varieties
Score: 94
Recommended retail price: €735
Mágico 2016. Marcos Eguren would love all harvests to be like this one, with generous yields and quality going hand in hand. The grapes ripened slowly, almost to perfection, and were in excellent health. The wine developed beautifully in the glass, showing great intensity and depth, with lush, well-defined red fruit and a wealth of aromas (spices, incense, and a hint of violet). Wine critic Andrés Proensa, who was sitting next to me (below both of us discussing the wines with Marcos Eguren), aptly described it as “baroque”. The palate had everything: juiciness, freshness, silkiness, persistence. Pure pleasure.
Harvest dates: 16 October Garnacha; 19 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 97
Recommended retail price: €770
Mágico 2015. This was a warm vintage, benefitting from the winter snow which helped to retain water. The warm weather in July and August led to another early harvest, with picking starting in the last week of September. The palate showed more extraction and higher alcohol, although the wine was still juicy. The nose was less striking than in other vintages but offered a floral scent that gave the wine a distinctive character.
Harvest dates: 1 October Garnacha; 29 September the rest of grape varieties
Score: 94
Recommended retail price: €815
Mágico 2012. The September rains had a very positive effect on the harvest, especially in late-ripening areas and varieties, where healthy, fully ripe grapes were picked. The 2012 regained the red fruit character, along with the herbal notes and the sensuality of Garnacha. The wine had a fuller mid-palate, but still felt juicy. Ripe and slightly warm, but pleasant and fresher than 2015.
Harvest dates: 15 October Garnacha; 9 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 95
Recommended retail price: €850
Mágico 2011. In a year that can be described as dry and warm, Marcos Eguren pointed out that July was the coolest in recent decades and that the last stages of ripening benefited from the temperature variations between day and night. Overall, 2015 was a vintage of concentration and healthy grapes. The wine felt a bit closed, with spicy notes (vanilla, nutmeg), dairy nuances, and less fruit intensity. The palate was more structured than average and with firmer tannins.
Harvest dates: 16 October Garnacha; 6 October the rest of grape varieties
Score: 93
Recommended retail price: €900
Mágico 2010. The Mágico of a magical vintage did not disappoint. Few vintages show the balance, complexity and finesse of 2010. All the character of the vineyard is present here: red fruit, albeit with greater nuance after 14 years, herbal notes (bay leaf, aromatic dried herbs) and spices. This is a finely textured wine with remarkable finesse -think of a silky mouthfeel at its best, the hallmark of the best Riojas.
Harvest dates: 23 October all grapes including Garnacha
Score: 97-98
Recommended retail price: €950
