Seña 2009 (750ml)

96 POINTS

Georgina Hindle - Decanter

Such incredible aromatics on this wine, so much going on. Wildly perfumed, like wild meadow flowers with cherry, leather, coffee and blackcurrant. Smooth and coursing, this is evocative - pulsing with life and energy. The fruit is bright yet rich with mint-edged tannins that support the fruit and overall structure. You get these lovely mature tertiary aromas on the nose but then such youth still on the palate. Feels like a great time to drink this to enjoy the plump and still lively fruit with the tannins that are supportive, smooth and slightly grippy. I love it. A decadent wine, there's power here, but shining brightly right now. Just gorgeous. The first ex-chateau back vintage release, just a few thousand bottles.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

This is a powerful and structured red with currants, minerals and blackberries. Full and very silky plus has firm tannins and a chewy finish. Stoney. Needs another three years to soften. A beauty.

92 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2009 Sena has an exuberant bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, menthol, crushed stone and graphite that is extremely well defined and more feminine than the 2008. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, taut tannins and superb focus. It has a focused, leafy, tobacco infused finish and great length. Excellent. Drink 2014-2020. Sena is the peripatetic wine that goes around the world challenging and, let it be said, often defeating First Growths in blind tastings. I will not enter into a discussion about that here, although it must be said that Sena is an impressive wine. Tasting through this mini-vertical from almost the first vintage, I did find a distinct improvement from 2007 onwards. While I understand that older vintages have their share of plaudits, I discerned more complexity and vitality as well as finer integration of oak on newer vintages, as if more thought had gone into the wines. The result can be seen in the wines themselves, in particular the outstanding 2010.

92 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Vivid ruby. High-pitched aromas of redcurrant and cherry, with spice and floral accents and a touch of vanilla. Zesty, focuse red fruit flavors gain heft and sweetness with air. Shows very good energy and purity on the long, spicy, nicely delineated finish. I'll bet that this finely tuned wine will reward a decade in the cellar.

90 POINTS

Joaquin Hidalgo - Vinous

The 2009 Seña was made in a warm, dry year that also marked the high point of the overripe style. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carménère, 16% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc; it was aged for 22 months in new French barrels. Garnet in color with a brick dust sheen. The nose is somewhat subdued but subtle with notes of herb, spice, cedar and ink. In the mouth, the palate is lit up by warm balance and energy along with grippy, slightly dry tannins.

Richard Hemming MW - JancisRobinson.com

Mid ruby. Very green and minty. Smooth, rounded and juicy with pliable tannins on the finish. The strong leafy streak suggests Chile over all. It's an appealing, drinkable style with serious structure, but relies heavily on herbaceousness for its complexity. Score: 16.5/20

Jancis Robinson MW

54% Cabernet Sauvignon (picked third week of April), 21% Carmenère (picked first week of May), 16% Merlot (picked third week of March), 6% Petit Verdot (picked second week of April), 3% Cabernet Franc (picked third week of May). TA 5.94 g/l, pH 3.36, RS 2.94 g/l. Fruit from their Seña hillside vineyard, 41 km from the Pacific Ocean. The colluvial soils have different textures and stone content. At lower altitudes the stone content is lower (0–10%) and higher up, stone content ranges from 30–70%. Elevation of 290–500m. Low rainfall during the growing season and a warm, dry summer. Hand-picked and sorted by hand. Stainless-steel fermentation, three pumpovers per day. Total maceration time ranged from 20–40 days. Aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Mid crimson. Real freshness on the nose as well as ripeness. Great drive and interest. All melded together into a most impressive whole. A slightly sudden finish but a huge step up compared with the rest of the first 21st-century decade vintages. Score: 17/20