Sena is a phenomenal red with aromas of blackberry, liquorice sandalwood and hot stones turned into a cigar box with hints of sweet tea. Full body, with incredible depth and concentration, it is dark red in colour with aromas of berries, tobacco, cocoa and pepper. The flavour is intense with a wealth of nuances and a very nice balance, which gives it a very classic French flavour. Grapes are biodynamically grown.They named it Seña, a sign to the world that Chile was able to produce world-class wines, expressing the uniqueness of the Aconcagua Valley and changing the way the world thought about Chilean wine.Seña is a unique Bordeaux-style red blend with a very Chilean soul. Its predominant variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, while Carmenere clearly ties it to Chile. Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot round out the blend and changing the way the world thought about Chilean wine.
Wine Profile
Region
:
Central Valley, Maipo Valley
Classification
:
None
Appellation
:
Aconcagua Valley
LWIN
:
1083217
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
They explained how the 2017 Seña was produced with "grapes that were handpicked in the morning and transported to the winery in 12-kilogram boxes for a careful inspection on a double sorting table. The grapes fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 31 degrees Celsius (77 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the variety and the level of extraction desired. Three pump-overs were carried out daily during fermentation to rotate the volume of the tank 0.5 to 1.5 times. Total maceration time ranged from 15 to 30 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenère and eight to 12 days for the Petit Verdot, according to the development of each block vinified. The final blend was racked to French oak barrels (67% new) and aged for 22 months, during which time malolactic fermentation and stabilization occurred naturally." They harvested early and managed to keep the same alcohol level as the 2016. This has less aromatic exuberance and is a more serious vintage with good concentration and weight, not as aerial as the 2016. They increased the amount of wine matured in larger 2,500-liter foudres instead of barrique. This is more powerful, structured and concentrated, like a drier version of the 2015, with some grainy tannins, more acidity, more austerity and less primary fruit. The tannins have some grip (the earlier harvest perhaps?) and might need a little bit of time in bottle, and the wine seems to have what it takes to develop nicely in bottle. They produced 120,000 bottles of this. It was bottled in February and March 2019. Just for the record, the varietal breakdown is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 15% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot, reflecting a good year for Carmenère and Cabernet Franc.
The aromas of blackberries, cedar, sandalwood and black tea are compelling. Black olives. Rosemary and sage undertones. Full-bodied, rich and powerful Seña with impressive and powerful tannins, yet harmony and balance. Fruit-forward. Lightly chewy. Fresh and energetic wine in a hot year. Broad-shouldered. Drink after 2022.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognised red wine grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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About this WINE
The Producer
Mondavi & Chadwick. Thirty years ago this year, Chilean winemaker Eduardo Chadwick teamed up with California’s Robert Mondavi to make a world-class wine in Chile. The result was Seria the first Chilean icon wine, whose current vintage is arguably the best ever.In the early 1990s, Chile was becoming known for mass-produced, affordable wines, but Chadwick, whose family owns the Errázuriz winery, knew that the country could produce top-quality wines. Chadwick and Mondavi aspired to produce a fresh, balanced wine unlike the riper, fruitier wines from Chile’s generally warm growing conditions.T...
Mondavi & Chadwick. Thirty years ago this year, Chilean winemaker Eduardo Chadwick teamed up with California’s Robert Mondavi to make a world-class wine in Chile. The result was Seria the first Chilean icon wine, whose current vintage is arguably the best ever.In the early 1990s, Chile was becoming known for mass-produced, affordable wines, but Chadwick, whose family owns the Errázuriz winery, knew that the country could produce top-quality wines. Chadwick and Mondavi aspired to produce a fresh, balanced wine unlike the riper, fruitier wines from Chile’s generally warm growing conditions.To this end, a dedicated vineyard was created in the Aconcagua Valley, north of Santiago and about 40 kilometres from the coast. There the vines would benefit from both the bright sunlight from the generally cloudless Chilean skies and the cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean.Seña means “sign,” as it was to be a sign of Chile’s ability to make fine wine. The first vintage was 1995, and it was released in 1997 to critical praise. Seña went on to outclass some of the most prestigious Bordeaux and Super-Tuscan wines in the 2004 Berlin Tasting—a replay of the famous Judgment of Paris of 1976, where California wines beat the best of Bordeaux. In Berlin, Seña 2001 ranked second and bested Bordeaux greats such as Margaux, Latour, and Lafite Rothschild. It was beaten only by Eduardo Chadwick’s other icon wine, Viñedo Chadwick.Seña has evolved over time—it is “completely different in the last 10 years,” says Francisco Baettig, Seña’s winemaker who has been at Errázuriz for 18 years. To make a fresher, more balanced, and more drinkable wine, they have fine-tuned the vineyards, providing more foliage to shade the grapes from direct sun. They have lowered alcohol: “We can do 13 to 14 per cent; you don’t need to go to 14.5 to 15 per cent.” Baettig says his message is “fully ripened with moderate alcohol,” and in this he and Seña were ahead of the curve—this is just the style of quality red wine that is currently in demand.Seña is now made from five Bordeaux varieties: cabernet sauvignon, carmenère, malbec, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. (Merlot was phased out because it did not perform well in the Seña vineyard.) Although cabernet sauvignon is consistently 55 to 60 per cent of the blend, there is no recipe. Malbec contributes 18 per cent in 2018, but it was only 12 per cent in 2015. Blends depend on vintages, and the growing conditions clearly show in each year’s Seña. People talk about a “sense of place” in wine, but a “sense of time” is far more meaningful.
The Region
The Andes have a significant effect on the climate in Puente Alto. Vineyards are shaded in the morning as the sun rises over the mountain range, and warm, sunny afternoons are then followed by colder nights cooled by alpine winds. The altitude of the area exacerbates this diurnal temperature variation, slowing the ripening of the berries overnight. This leads to a balance of flavor and acidity in the wines of Puente Alto.Vines arrived in the region in the 1800s, spreading south from the pioneering Cousifio Macul vineyard north of the Maipo River. Any description of Puente Alto as a wine-produc...
The Andes have a significant effect on the climate in Puente Alto. Vineyards are shaded in the morning as the sun rises over the mountain range, and warm, sunny afternoons are then followed by colder nights cooled by alpine winds. The altitude of the area exacerbates this diurnal temperature variation, slowing the ripening of the berries overnight. This leads to a balance of flavor and acidity in the wines of Puente Alto.Vines arrived in the region in the 1800s, spreading south from the pioneering Cousifio Macul vineyard north of the Maipo River. Any description of Puente Alto as a wine-producing area must reference the great names Almaviva and Don Melchor – the two wines that put the area on the viticultural map.Vinedo Chadwick is also based in Puente Alto and has cemented the region's prestige by winning international competitions and awards. The Berlin Tasting of 2004 pitched this Puente Alto wine against Chateaux Lafite, Latour, and Margaux and Italian greats Sassicaia and Tignanello. The panel of 36 European judges voted Viñedo Chadwick as the top wine, making history for Chile's wine industry and breaking the image of the country as a producer-only of 'good-value Merlot'.
