Viña Seña Red Blend 2015
(Aconcagua Valley, Chile) - [JS 100] [DM 97] [WA 96] [VM 94]

About this Wine:
Seña was created as a joint venture between Chilean Eduardo Chadwick and American Robert Mondavi way back in 1995. Their aim was to make a wine that would demonstrate the full potential of Chile. Modelled on a Bordeaux style, it would have a Chilean soul, with its grapes grown under biodynamic farming principles in the Aconcagua Valley. Their dream was to create a wine that would be welcomed, in time, among the world's First Growths. 

Vintage Notes:
After a mild winter with average rainfall, the 2014 – 2015 season was moderately warm and dry—except for a refreshing bit of rain in March—and ultimately resulted in very healthy grapes. Spring began warm, October was hot, and cooler weather followed in November and December with lower temperatures than usual. The absence of rain and moderate temperatures later in the spring resulted in good flowering, fruit set and a balanced number of bunches. Within the usual range in January, temperatures gradually increased in February, and the season ended with record-breaking highs in March and April. The season's balanced yield helped moderate the pace of ripening somewhat. Still, it was essential to closely monitor its advance as we had a minimal margin of error for determining the best harvest date for each lot. Picking 7 – 12 days earlier than usual was key to maintaining the extreme elegance and freshness we seek for our Seña wines.

Tasting Notes:
"Seña 2015 displays an intense red hue with strikingly purple edges. The nose is intense and complex, with red and black fruit aromas, such as raspberries, cherries, currants and blueberries, with soft touches of dill, blond tobacco, cedar, and olive notes. The palate follows the aromas with the same fruit complexity and lasting structure perceived in the nose, where the fruity flavours mingle with cocoa, nutmeg and coffee. An elegant, deep and tense wine with a perfect balance between very fine tannins, nice acidity and fruit intensity. With a long and promising ageing potential." -Francisco Baettig, Winemaker February 2017

Technical Information

Assemblage: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 12% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 13.5%

Ageing: 22 months 88% in French oak barrels (65% new) 12% foudres

Ratings & Reviews:

100 Points - James Suckling:
"Stunning aromas of blackcurrant, stone, blueberry and licorice. Also iodine. Floral. Perfumed. Full body, fantastic density of fruit and ripe tannins. It goes on for minutes on the palate with such energy and focus. Touch of chewiness on the finish. A complex and complete wine that delivers a generosity with firmness. Drink in 2021 but already a classic to drink." (Apr 2017)

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"A wine full of movement and finesse, like the swish of a velvet cloak. Dark-fruited with defined notes of blackberry, damson and bilberry, held taught by blackcurrant leaf and dark rumblings of granite. The mouthfeel is thick and round, satin tannins coating the tongue. Fresh notes of menthol and liquorice permeate the finish. A sensational experience to taste this from magnum." - Natalie Earl (Nov 2023)

96 Points - Wine Advocate:
"As a comparison to the 2014 vintage of this wine, the 2015 Seña resulted in 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 12% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, with now 12% of the wine matured in new Stockinger oak foudres and the rest in barrique for some 22 months. 2015 might have been a slightly warmer year, but the resulting wine is lower in alcohol and higher in acidity, which provide for a more vibrant mouthfeel and a more focused expression of the character of the place. This vintage has half a degree less alcohol, and the acidity is a little more pungent; and, the amount of wine in foudre seems to help the oak to show better integrated. This is dry, nicely textured, and the replacement of the Merlot by Malbec seems to have also added to the refinement of the tannins that are super-elegant. 66,000 bottles were filled in February 2017. The price has not yet been set." - Luis Gutierrez (Apr 2017)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2015 Seña is the product of a warm, early ripening year. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, it spent 22 months in two thirds new barrels or foudres (12%). Dark garnet red in the glass. The fruity, open nose offers notes of blackberry and blackcurrant with floral aromas, herbs and hints of ash and cedar. Juicy with a refined texture, a smooth feel and mild freshness, it’s complex in the mouth with well-defined flavor. A focused wine with a slightly herbal aftertaste." - Joaquin Hidalgo (Aug 2022)