2015 Seña

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.

100 POINTS

Stuart Pigott - JamesSuckling.com

What a breathtakingly deep and complex nose! Still just beginning to show what it is made of! Dazzling spectrum of red, blue and black fruits that it would take up way too much space to individualize, but there's certainly an intense black-cherry note. Super-refined tannins that make it glide over palate incredibly gracefully. Super-long finish that's so silky. A cuvee of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 21% carmenere, 12% malbec, 7% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. From biodynamically grown grapes. 20th Anniversary Berlin Tasting Event, February 2024.

97 POINTS

Ines Salpico - Decanter

So lively and vibrant, with crunchy cranberry, pomegranate, red cherry and blackcurrant jumping from the glass, topped by hints of wild herbs, cedar and green olive. Layered and complex palate with a core of red fruit lined with blood-orange zest, nutmeg, dark chocolate, thyme and oregano. Refreshing, zesty tannins. Lively acidity throughout. Harmonious now, yet it still has such a long way to go.

96 POINTS

Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker 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.

96 POINTS

Anne Krebiehl MW - Falstaff

Flinty, earthy reduction still hovers on the nose and is displayed against smooth, dark fruit. The palate is dense, smooth, rich, and caramelised plum melds with hints of chocolate and cocoa. Freshness counters this while fine tannins have become pliable and are en route to smoothness. The finish is a high tone of freshness amidst all of this bundled but elegant richness.

95 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

Dark garnet with purple reflections, good depth of colour and subtle edge brightening. Ripe black cherry aromas with some caramel and vanilla, a hint of cassis and liquorice underlaid with subtle oak spice. Powerful, red berry palate; taut, with distinctive acidity, some raspberry and liquorice, and a mineral-salty finish. Shows energy and freshness, is persistent but already accessible. A lively food companion.

94 POINTS

Anthony Rose - Decanter

A joint venture between Viña Errazuriz and Robert Mondavi in 1995, Seña became wholly owned by Eduardo Chadwick’s Errazuriz in 2005. His belief in Seña as a terroir wine led him to introduce biodynamic viticulture in the same year. A Bordeaux-style blend, Seña is sourced from a 43ha mountain vineyard in the Aconcagua Valley. Precisely monitored for optimum harvesting date, the vineyard is characterised by warm sunny days and cool nights, hence ideal ripening conditions for a long hang-time of nearly 140 days. Maturation for 22 months in French oak and Stockinger foudres moderates the unique expression of Aconcagua’s intensity with the desired textural finesse. Chadwick’s series of vertical blind tastings held around the world cemented Seña’s place in the Chilean hall of fame. This deep-hued blend shows subtle smoke and chocolate powder behind vivid, plump, fleshy mulberry fruit, supported by a slim veneer of toffee and vanilla oak whose youthful, sinewy tannins frame an appetisingly savoury finish.

Jancis Robinson

Released September 2017. 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenère, 3% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot. TA 6 g/l, pH 3.55, RS 2.21 g/l. A dry growing season with average rainfall meant steady flowering, fruit set and healthy fruit conditions. Hand-picked and sorted by hand. Stainless-steel fermentation, three pumpovers per day. Total maceration time ranged from 15–30 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, and 8–12 days for the Petit Verdot. The final blend was racked to French oak barrels (65% new) and aged for 22 months, during which time malolactic fermentation and stabilisation occurred naturally. Mid crimson. Aromatic and almost Margaux-like. Sweet and polished. Easy to appreciate. Not one of the most concentrated vintages. But very appetising and fairly forward. Score: 17/NaN