Winemaker Notes
Sena is an authentic Chilean blend made from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot varieties. The Carménère adds an evident Chilean personality to the wine.
A dark ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense on the nose, with abundant fresh red and black fruit that evokes raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The red fruit stands out on the palate, nicely accompanied by sweet spice. Well rounded and silky tannins this is an elegant, complex wine, refreshing with outstanding structure and balance.
Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 15% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Extremely clear and complex with dark berry, spearmint and flowers. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. The tannin quality in this is exceptional. Tight and beautiful. Drink or hold. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 15% carmenere, 15% merlot, 7% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc. 22 months in 75% new French oak.
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Vinous
The 2011 Seña was harvested at the end of a low-yield season in which temperatures were cool and ripening slow. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 15% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged for 22 months in three quarters new barrels. Garnet red in the glass. The nose is rewardingly fruity with delicate notes of blackcurrant, orange petit fours, country herbs, spice and dried flowers. In the mouth the palate is refined with a moderate structure and a flavorful, slightly juicy flow that lingers at length. A well-focused wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fully mature at this stage, the 2011 Seña is both herbal and gourmand, showcasing the dried-herb notes typical of a cool vintage, toasty remnants of new wood and the more assertive winemaking style of that era. It offers Seña's signature silky, caressing mouthfeel with a lighter body and ends with a savory, gravelly, tobacco-laden finish with a core of dried fruits. This wine will likely appeal to those who favor delicate expressions of Bordeaux varieties, but it is approaching the end of its prime drinking window. The blend consists of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenère, 15% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The Aconcagua River runs east from the charming costal town of Valparaiso and bisects the land creating the valley after which it was named. While alluvial soils predominate the Aconcagua Valey along its river throughout, its east-west flow creates drastically different conditions on each of its ends. Its western, seaside vineyards, with clay and stony soils upon gently rolling hills, produce cool-climate varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its inner region is one of Chile’s hottest and produces some of its best red wines. Panquehue in the inner Aconcagua is the site of Chile’s first Syrah vines, planted in 1993.