SEÑA
2017
Fragrant nose of sweet berry fruit with a leafy, herbal undertone. You really sense the 10% Cabernet Franc. It's lithe on the palate too. The fruit has a lovely prickle of acidity despite the warmth of the vintage. There's lots of easy appeal here and the tannins are very well managed so it will be approachable after a few years of cellaring. Hats off to the Seña team, this is very good. Drinking range: 2023 - 2035L&S (Sept 2019)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
They explained how the 2017 Seña was produced with "grapes that were handpicked in the morning and transported to the winery in 12-kilogram boxes for a careful inspection on a double sorting table. The grapes fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 31 degrees Celsius (77 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the variety and the level of extraction desired. Three pump-overs were carried out daily during fermentation to rotate the volume of the tank 0.5 to 1.5 times. Total maceration time ranged from 15 to 30 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenère and eight to 12 days for the Petit Verdot, according to the development of each block vinified. The final blend was racked to French oak barrels (67% new) and aged for 22 months, during which time malolactic fermentation and stabilization occurred naturally." They harvested early and managed to keep the same alcohol level as the 2016. This has less aromatic exuberance and is a more serious vintage with good concentration and weight, not as aerial as the 2016. They increased the amount of wine matured in larger 2,500-liter foudres instead of barrique. This is more powerful, structured and concentrated, like a drier version of the 2015, with some grainy tannins, more acidity, more austerity and less primary fruit. The tannins have some grip (the earlier harvest perhaps?) and might need a little bit of time in bottle, and the wine seems to have what it takes to develop nicely in bottle. They produced 120,000 bottles of this. It was bottled in February and March 2019. Just for the record, the varietal breakdown is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 15% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot, reflecting a good year for Carmenère and Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Francisco Baettig keeps pushing the envelope and is producing more and more harmonious wines, here and in the other wineries from the group. Drinking range: 2020 - 2030 Rating: 96+ Luis Gutierrez, www.robertparker.com (Sept 2019)
The aromas of blackberries, cedar, sandalwood and black tea are compelling. Black olives. Rosemary and sage undertones. Full-bodied, rich and powerful Seña with impressive and powerful tannins, yet harmony and balance. Fruit-forward. Lightly chewy. Fresh and energetic wine in a hot year. Broad-shouldered. Drink after 2022. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Aug 2019)
Seña
Seña is the joint venture between Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley and Eduardo Chadwick of Errázuriz, who dreamed of creating an iconic Chilean wine, that fully expresses the terroir of the Aconcagua Valley north of Santiago. The word Seña means signal in Spanish, thus signalling their intention to showcase the first iconic Chilean wine.
Located on north-east facing hillsides in Aconcagua, only 40km from the Pacific, the wine is made according to biodynamic principles from a blend of classic Bordeaux red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and increasingly Carménère. Though the first wines were more Bordelais in style, Carménère has been added by varying proportion over time to give the wines a more distinct Chilean feel.
Launched in 1995, the 2001 Seña vintage was one of the two Chilean wines to take the top two places in the Berlin Wine Tasting of 2004, a blind tasting of iconic wines from France, Italy and Chile, judged by an international panel of experts.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond' (excluding duty paid and VAT).
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price sits within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
You can register your interest via the online wishlist form, by emailing privateclients@leaandsandeman.co.uk, or by calling 020 7221 1982. All wishlist requests are subject to availability and final confirmation. Inevitably, some wines will have to be allocated but please do not let that deter you from asking. We will do our best to satisfy all requests.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date.
Invoices are raised at in bond prices. Duty and VAT invoices will be raised on request when the wines land in the UK.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We reserve the right to levy a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant Storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other in bond deliveries are free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1,000. Orders below this total will be charged at £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchase from this offer, not a per-case charge. Please inform us of in bond delivery addresses and account details at the time of ordering.
- If the wines are required duty paid we will issue invoices at prevailing rate of duty and VAT when the wines arrive in the UK.
- The wines will become available by the end of the year and should be shipped very early next year.