This work aimed to determine the enantioselectivity in cardioprotection induced by the racemic mixture of the "archetype" 1a of a new class of spirocyclic-benzopyran derivatives. The racemate was resolved by HPLC and the absolute configuration was accomplished by a combined strategy based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction and circular dichroism methods. The (S)-(-)-1a enantiomer, evaluated for its anti-ischemic activity, showed significant cardioprotective effects, whereas the (R)-(+)-1a enantiomer was completely lacking in anti-ischemic effects.