I was fortunate to be invited to taste two vintages of Seña wines from Chile paired with dishes at Black + Blue restaurant in downtown Vancouver. The wine luncheon and tasting was led by Mr. Michel Couttolenc, Fine Wines Director for Viñedo Chadwick and Seña.
Seña is a joint venture winery started in 1995 between Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi and Chile’s Eduardo Chadwick. In 1991 Mondavi went to Chile to find a partner to form a joint venture and explore the potential of Chilean wines. When he was there he met Eduardo Chadwick and discovered they shared similar values. Their goal was to reach the full potential of Chile’s wine country and to create a world-class iconic wine like no other from Chile. They set up the winery in the Aconcagua Valley as Robert Mondavi was convinced that the Aconcagua Valley had the potential to rival wines from around the world. The first vintage of Seña was in 1995 and lead the way to making other ultra-premium wines in Chile. Seña wines are made biodynamically but are not officially certified.
Michel started off our luncheon by showing us a short video that covered the landmark Berlin Wine Tasting in 2004. “At the 2004 Berlin Wine Tasting, Viñedo Chadwick 2000 and Seña 2001 took first and second place. The jury consisted of thirty wine experts who came together to blind taste sixteen wines. The wines of the Chadwick family had to compete with French cult wines from Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Margaux, but also classics such as Tignanello, Sassicaia and Solaia were present at the tasting. This was a milestone for Chilean viticulture!” (https://bestofwines.com/wine/chile/chile/vina-sena/). Michel helped arrange the Berlin Wine Tasting format at various locations around the world. Their wines went up against very well-regarded and recognized top-tier wines from Europe and came out on top which brought Seña and Chilean wine to the attention of the wine world.
We were treated to taste Seña 2018 and 2019 vintages. There are very limited quantities of these wines around the world. These vintages are sold out in Chile. Each year the blend for these wines change. The Seña 2018 is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the Seña 2019 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, and 4% Petit Verdot. There is no Cabernet Franc in the 2019 vintage. Michel noted that you need to be careful with Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon when it is a hot year in Chile. He said that Carmenere can be very peppery when the vintage is hot, so you may need to reduce the amount, and use more Malbec, which provides more acidity to the wine.
Why is Seña a Bordeaux blend? Robert Mondavi wanted to make a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wine, like in Napa Valley. When Robert Mondavi passed away, Eduardo changed course and went to a Bordeaux blend. He wanted more complexity, more aromas and more flavours in the wine.
Michel noted that this Seña 2018 wine can age for more years in the cellar, but did note that at 5 years of ageing, you can enjoy the wine at its peak. This is a wine with nerve and power but also finesse. Integrated oak, juicy fruits on the palate, and long length. 18 months of oak, mostly from second-fill barrels. He also mentioned that the amount of new oak is decreasing over time by the winemaker. The Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure, Malbec the acidity, Carmenere the spiciness, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc provide the floral notes and contribute to colour in the wine, according to Michel. He mentioned that it takes 3-4 days of tasting to come up with the blend for that vintage.
2019 is the 25th anniversary of the production of Seña. If you check the pictures in this article, you will see a special label for this vintage. Michel noted how bright violet the colour is due to the Malbec. The aromas have more red fruit aromas and the wine has more acidity on the palate.
My Wine Tasting Notes and Food Pairing
The wines were opened one hour before our tasting so that they can breathe and interact with oxygen.
Seña 2018 – This wine has a deep purplish ruby colour. A medium-intensity nose with aromas of leather, cassis, touches of oak and sweet spices. Medium-minus body with a light mouthfeel. Lightly round with nervy acidity. Light, fine-grained tannins. Juicy berry flavours with cedar and vanilla on the finish. Overall this wine has a very light feel, which I enjoy. Very good quality.
Seña 2019 – This wine has a deep ruby colour. Medium-intensity aromas of juicy berries and sweet spices. Medium body, with a leaner mouthfeel. Juicy berry fruit flavours, with light pepperiness and oak toward the finish. Light tannins.
At the table, we preferred the 2018 vintage as it had some Cabernet Franc in it that added a bit more character to the wine, but both are top-quality wines.
Food Pairing
The Seña 2018 was paired with Dry Aged Duck Breast, served with potato rosti, red wine jus, black truffle, and raspberry powder. The duck was cooked so that it has a nice crispy skin and juicy meat. The fattiness of the duck was balanced by the acidity of the wine. The tannins in the wine provided some structure to the dish. And the light mouthfeel of the wine complemented and did not overpower, the flavour and texture of the duck breast. An excellent pairing.
The Seña 2019 was paired with Braised Wagyu Short Rib, served with wild mountain huckleberry gremolata, long pepper jus, and Canadian farro (a type of grain). The short rib was extremely tender falling apart quite easily. There was a nice texture from the farrow and a touch of citrus from the gremolata. The juicy berry flavours from the wine went nicely with the meatiness of the short rib. The citrus also went nicely with the acidity in the wine.
We also had a dessert, Chocolate Ecstasy, served with fresh berry ganache and chocolate mousse raspberry gel, which although it did not have an official pairing with these wines, made a wonderful pairing with the Seña 2019. The 2019 has more juicy berry fruit and light tannins which made the pairing with the chocolate mousse and raspberry gel work so well.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
The Seña 2018 (BC $199.99) is available through select BC Liquor stores. I have been told that various wine shops have ordered the Seña 2019 but is not yet here in the market.
Thank you to Michel Couttolenc for leading this tasting of Seña wines, to Black + Blue for hosting and serving excellent dishes, and to Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits for inviting me to this luncheon. Watch for Michel at the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year as the theme region is South America.
