SEÑA

The 2018 Seña shows the fresher side of the Ocoa zone of the Aconcagua Valley through a Bordeaux blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot; there are small differences, but nothing substantial. As I've seen in other wines from the very complete 2018 vintage, the grapes ripened thoroughly and achieved more flavors and nuances, and the wines are slightly higher in alcohol (14% this year versus 13.3% in 2017, but in reality it's 13.8% ). But the wine seems to have more of everything. The grapes fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete vats and matured in new barriques and Stockinger foudres for 22 months, a similar formula as the one used for Viñedo Chadwick. This is a very elegant vintage of Seña, a year with a slow ripening so that the grapes achieved very good ripeness and full development of aromas and flavors, making the wine nuanced and complex, with depth but also freshness and finesse—floral and expressive. The tannins are very fine, polished and elegant, and the wine is long and complex, mixing the best of 2015 and 2016, coming through as a very complete year. It's still a little young and should develop nicely in bottle; it's approachable now, but if you can hold it a little bit more, it should be even better. This has to be the finest vintage of Seña to date. Comparing it with the Chadwick from the same year, there is more freshness and a little more complexity and clout coming form the cooler zone and the palette of varieties used that give more options to achieve more nuance. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February and March 2020. Drinking range: 2021 - 2035 Rating: 98 Luis Gutierrez, www.robertparker.com (Aug 2020)

Average growing season temperatures at Seña were significantly lower in 2018 than in 2017 and that, coupled with a subtle Pacific Ocean influence, has delivered a fresher style. For all that, it remains the most exotic and “Mediterranean” of the top Errázuriz reds, with more colour than its partners and top notes of rosemary and lavender. The palate is still quite firm, with sinewy tannins, toasty, cigar-box oak and good depth and structure. Marrying Cabernet Sauvignon with 45% Malbec, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with ageing in 85% new wood, it’s youthful, assertive and slightly inchoate, hinting enticingly at more to come in bottle as the oak integrates into the wine. Rating: 96 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Sept 2020)

The season began with important water reserves in the soils of our Seña vineyard, due to the rains recorded from May to October totaling 344 mm, 29% above the historical records of 266 mm for that same period. This provided ideal hydric conditions in the soil, which along with the mild temperatures recorded during spring, allowed a bud break aligned with the historical dates and perfect flowering. In return, thanks to a warm December the fruit set was simply excellent.
The ripening period maintained the trend of perfectly moderated temperatures. January provided delicate cooler temperatures just like November, thanks to a significant number of cloudy days that reached a heat summation 5% below historical records, delaying veraison in one week.
After this cooling pause, grapes were ready for a long and tender ripeness time, perfectly backed up by February and March that scored almost identical heat summations to the historical records. Yields were a little higher than historical averages for all varieties in the vineyard, except for Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon, with 6% and 3% lower than average, respectively. Once the harvest came to an end, the beautiful ripeness and uniqueness of the intense aromatics arising from the grapes were captivating, faithfully representing the greatness of the vintage and our exceptional Seña terroir.
Barrel Aging 22 Months 85% new French oak barrels, 15% Stockinger foudres Winemaker's notes (Sept 2020)

All the different variables were in perfect equilibrium for the 2018 Seña. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 15% Carménère, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot aged for 22 months in 85% new barrels and 15% in foudres. Its hue is garnet red with a purplish sheen. The intense, complex nose offers plum, blackcurrant and blackberry, subtle notes of mint and spice, and cedar from the aging process. Terse on the palate with refined, firm but delicate tannins that deliver both flavor and structure, the freshness is precise before the lengthy finish. Drinking range: 2024 - 2043 Rating: 95 Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com (Aug 2022)

The 2018 Seña is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 15% Carménère, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot from Ocoa, Aconcagua Valley, that spent 22 months in new barrels, 15% of them foudres. “I really whittled the wine down to 13.8% for greater elegance,” said oenologist Francisco Baettig, and it shows. Purplish red in the glass, it has an enticingly refined nose of black currant and blackberry over secondary woody notes plus balsamic, peppery aromas and hints of mint and saffron. A real joy to drink: relaxed and juicy with polished tannins sustained by a delicate freshness. This is a wine that delivers layer after layer, presenting its own interpretation of elegance. Drinking range: 2021 - 2033 Rating: 95 Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com (May 2021)