Eduardo Chadwick & Robert Mondavi - Viña Seña

Seña 2023

This cabernet sauvignon really shines, with subtle paprika, tobacco ash and vibrant red currants on the nose. Nuanced blackberries, blueberries, fine spices and a hint of cigar box. This fresh, lovely Sena comes from a warmer year than 2021 or 2022, with softer tannins. It’s super refined but driven, long and flavorful. More approachable and less structured and direct this year, with impeccable drinkability. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 19% malbec, 15% carmenere and 6% petit verdot. 18 months of aging, of which 90% is in French oak barrels, including 70% new and around 10% in foudres. Drinkable now, but it’s built for the next 20 years.

What a knockout wine from Seña this year. Szechuan pepper spice on the nose, some chocolate notes, tobacco bell peppers and black cherry. High acidity makes the first mark, piercing and alive, so up front and forward with a dollop of ripe, almost sweet strawberry fruit, with a mouthwatering element that just makes you smile. Confident and so characterful. I love this wine, and could drink this all day. The length is incredible but the sense of energy and precision is also amazing as well as delivering a real push of flavour and complexity. Sheer brilliance. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Director Eduardo Chadwick, winemaker Emily Faulconer.

Using a higher proportion of Carménère than is typical, the 2023 Seña opens with its signature fresh, lifted bouquet driven by mint, spice and red fruit aromas, developing graphite accents and a vanilla-tinged undercurrent with aeration. The palate beautifully balances a suave polish with tensile focus, releasing into a rich, slow-moving finish underpinned by mineral-driven nuances and a touch of refreshing salinity. This impressive showing from Seña in a warm vintage retains admirable freshness and verve. The blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 15% Carménère, 6% Petit Verdot matured for 18 months in barrique and a small portion of foudre.