2012 Seña

98 POINTS

James Suckling

The owner of Sena believes this is his best ever and I have to agree. It has fabulous character of blackberry, licorice, sandalwood and hot stones that turns to cigar box and hints of sweet tea. Rich, agile and playful. Made from biodynamically grown grapes.

98 POINTS

James Suckling

A phenomenal red with aromas of blackberries, licorice, sandalwood and hot stones that turns to cigar box and hints of sweet tea. Full body, incredible depth and concentration, yet there's also agility and playfulness to this. Long, fascinating and balanced. It talks to you. The greatest Seña ever. (Winemaker and owner agree.) There's wonderful purity and beauty. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. Better in 2017.

93 POINTS

Kim Marcus - Wine Spectator

A rich, round and lush-tasting red, featuring concentrated flavors of dark currant, plum tart and dark berry, with plenty of toasty notes. Suave tannins caress the creamy finish. Drink now through 2022.

93 POINTS

Falstaff

Dark garnet, purple reflections, broad and bright rim. Bouquet of pleasant fine oak spice, red berry confit, delicate nougat and candied orange zest. Juicy on the palate, elegant texture, medium complexity, ripe cherry fruit, fine round tannins, nice fruit nuances in the finish. It persists well, is already drinking well, and has sure development potential.

92 POINTS

Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2012 Sena is from a cool vineyard on a rocky hillside with some clay, in the middle of the Aconcagua Valley, where there is still some influence from the Pacific Ocean. This wine has always been a blend, and in 2012 it is half Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Carmenere, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Bright and focused, with a nose mixing red fruit, it is also bright-colored, with ripe black fruit and balsamic notes in the shape of tobacco and cedar wood, with a medium-bodied palate, very good freshness and acidity, sophisticated, polished and fine-grained tannins. This is still a baby, but the silky texture makes it accessible now, while the complexity should come with more time. Drink 2015-2022. Sena’s hillside vineyard is on the cooler side of the Aconcagua valley (the limit to ripen Cabernet and Carmenere), extending over 45 hectares planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Syrah. The colluvial soils on the valley’s slopes contain a variety of textures and stone proportions, resulting in a great diversity of well-drained gravel, rock and loam. The backbone of the wine is Cabernet Carmenere, complemented with the other grapes. In the 1990s, Eduardo Chadwick visited Napa, where he met Robert Mondavi. Mondavi visited(more...)

Jancis Robinson

Once a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Errázuriz. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carmenère, 12% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot. Dark luscious crimson. Lifted, very Cabernet/cassis nose. Quite a bit of acidity and the fruit is a little coarser and more tannic and angular than in the Almaviva 2012. Still a lot of tannin here plus sweet purple berry fruit. Slightly harsh green notes on the end. Score: 17/NaN

Jancis Robinson

Dark crimson. Sweet and rather gorgeous direct ripe Cabernet. No underripe notes.  Great balance. Just a hint of rawness but really very well done. Score: 16.5/NaN

Jancis Robinson

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carmenère, 12% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot. A moderately warm growing season with low rainfall meant very healthy grapes. Hand-picked and sorted by hand. Stainless-steel fermentation, three pumpovers per day. Total maceration time ranged from 9–40 days. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (70% new). Deep crimson. Really quite restrained on the nose. Still lots of acidity and a little bit of leafiness. Just a little austere. Maybe a tad too much Carmenère for comfort? Oak still a little evident on the palate. Score: 16/NaN