Region / Classification : Aconcagua Valley, Chile
Varieties : 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenere , 12% Malbec,10% Merlot , 5% Petit Verdot
Volume : 750ml
Sena was founded in 1995 by Robert Mondavi, the father of American wine, and Eduardo Chadwick, owner of Chilean heavyweight Vina Errazuriz, who, as wine lovers know, also co-founded Opus One with Bordeaux First Growth Mouton. Vina Errazuriz is the oldest and most important winery in Chile, producing highly rated wines that have brought Chilean wines to the world.
This powerful combination of a classic Bordeaux base and the Chilean soul grape, Carmenere, has resulted in yet another masterpiece. In addition to many years of high scores from major wine critics, the most famous is the famous blind tasting in Berlin in 2004, where the 2001 Sena beat the third-placed Lafite, and tied for fourth place with the 2000 Sena and the 2001 Margaux. It should be noted that the 16 wines in the competition included the top 5 Bordeaux wines, as well as top Italian wineries such as Sassicaia and Solaia, which put Sena, and even Chilean wines, on the map!
The Sena vineyard is located on the western side of the Aconcagua Valley in Chile, 40 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard covers an area of 42 hectares, with varieties such as Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, etc. The climate is Mediterranean. The climate is Mediterranean with a long dry season. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean allows for cool sea breezes to balance the temperatures, which are cool enough to allow for perfect ripening of the grapes. The soils are well-drained, with gravels, clay and stones of varying sizes in the crumbling soils of the valley slopes.
To maximise quality, the grapes are hand-picked early in the morning at low temperatures, carefully selected and then mostly fermented in stainless steel vats, with temperatures adjusted according to the varietal to achieve the ideal level of extraction. Another 6% of the grapes are fermented in new French oak barrels, where three daily skin dips are carried out to extract colour, tannins and flavours. The maceration time depends on the variety and the plot. The wine is aged for 22 months in 88% French barrels, 73% in new barrels and the remaining 12% in vats.
In recent years, winemaker Francisco Baettig's more precise control of alcohol, body, and acidity has made Sena from Chile, which is a more robust wine, more elegant and harmonious, making its already high scores even higher.
【James Suckling 99 pts】
Superb aromas of black currants, rose petal and mint. Lavender and stones too. Full body with incredible fruit density. Complex, yet it's agile and bright. Tannins are perfectly polished. It builds on the palate and shows the structure of a first growth Bordeaux but remains so Chilean. A blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 15% carmenere, 12% malbec, 10% merlot, and 5% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. This is a joy to taste now but it will show itself in 2019. Even better than the amazing 2012.
【Wine Advocate 96 Pts】
The 2013 Seña might very well be their finest vintage to date. 2013 was a cool vintage that favored fresh flavors and elegant and pure wines full of nuances. At Viña Seña, they took advantage of the natural conditions and produced a stunning blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, sourced from their 42 hectares of vineyards planted some 16 years ago in the Aconcagua Valley. The varietal mix has been fine tuned and the oak has also been gradually reduced during the last few years. The process was pretty straightforward, fermentation in stainless steel and aging in French oak barrels (75% of them new) for 22 months. It has a subtle nose with aromas of red and black fruit denoting very good freshness, and the classical tobacco and cracked peppercorns, with the oak nicely integrated adding some spices and faint smoky aromas. The red fruit is remarkable and really adds freshness. Linear, juicy, sharp and long, very tasty and with very fine, slightly grainy tannins. There is superb balance, classical proportion and symmetry. I have not tasted all of the vintages of Seña (one day...), but out of all the years I've tried, this is certainly the best. I'm sure this will bloom in bottle and will have a long development. 60,000 bottles were filled.
【Vinous 94 pts】
The 2013 Seña is the product of an ideal year in terms of temperature and yields. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot aged for 22 months in three-quarters new French barrels. Garnet red in hue. A subtle nose of blackcurrant, herbs and clear hints of plum are all enhanced and clarified by a layer of mint. A well-defined wine in the mouth with fruity flavors and refined tannins that - channel the flow with a little grip, the freshness keeps things lively at the end.
