In Bond Fine Wine. 2003 Eduardo Chadwick Sena, Ocoa, Aconcagua, Chile. Red chile - red in 12x75cl. Top critic score: 93/100 (JM). Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Seña is one of Chile’s great fine wine estates, created in 1995 by Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi with the ambition of producing a world-class Chilean wine capable of standing alongside the finest Bordeaux. Its hillside vineyards in the Aconcagua Valley, influenced by both the Andes and Pacific Ocean, produce Cabernet-led wines of remarkable freshness, structure and longevity. Seña’s reputation was cemented at the famous Berlin Tasting of 2004, when the 2001 vintage was rated ahead of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux 2000 in a blind tasting. Today, Seña remains one of South America’s benchmark wines, combining Cabernet Sauvignon with varieties including Carmenere, Malbec and Petit Verdot to create a distinctive expression of its Chilean terroir. The estate also produces the excellent Rocas de Seña, a more approachable sibling that places greater emphasis on Mediterranean varieties alongside Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Vibrant, fresh and beautifully refined, it offers much of Seña’s precision and pedigree at a considerably more accessible price.
Joaquin Hidalgo (JHi) — 90/100 · Vinous · Drink 2022 - 2028
The 2003 Seña is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Carménère and 2% Cabernet Franc, a mixture that reflects the warm, early ripening year, aged for 18 months in new French barrels. Dark terracotta in the glass. Hints of spice and herbs are still present in the nose which is otherwise dominated by ripe blackcurrant and jam while the compact, dry tannins are lit up by the 14.5% alco…
Jay Miller (JM) — 93/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com · Drink 2011-2030
In contrast to the 2002, the 2003 Sena is more primary and more complete. It is purple-colored with an expressive array of pain grille, clove, espresso, earth, black currants, and blackberry. This is followed by a wine which admirably combines power and elegance. There are layers of sweet fruit, and the oak, tannin, and acidity are nicely integrated. Cellar this superior effort for another 4-6 ye…