2013 Seña, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

Superb aromas of black currants, rose petal and mint. Lavender and stones too. Full body with incredible fruit density. Complex, yet it's agile and bright. Tannins are perfectly polished. It builds on the palate and shows the structure of a first growth Bordeaux but remains so Chilean. A blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 15% carmenere, 12% malbec, 10% merlot, and 5% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. This is a joy to taste now but it will show itself in 2019. Even better than the amazing 2012.

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenère, 10% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot. TA 6.13 g/l, pH 3.43, RS 2.78 g/l. Cool vintage. Hand-picked and sorted by hand. Stainless-steel fermentation, three pumpovers per day. Total maceration time ranged from 14–27 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenère and 6–8 days for the Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (75% new).

Healthy glowing crimson. Balsam and intensity on the savoury nose. Masses of everything: ripe fruit, bracing acidity, fine tannins. A crouching tiger?

The 2013 Seña is the product of an ideal year in terms of temperature and yields. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot aged for 22 months in three-quarters new French barrels. Garnet red in hue. A subtle nose of blackcurrant, herbs and clear hints of plum are all enhanced and clarified by a layer of mint. A well-defined wine in the mouth with fruity flavors and refined tannins that channel the flow with a little grip, the freshness keeps things lively at the end.

The 2013 Seña might very well be their finest vintage to date. 2013 was a cool vintage that favored fresh flavors and elegant and pure wines full of nuances. At Viña Seña, they took advantage of the natural conditions and produced a stunning blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, sourced from their 42 hectares of vineyards planted some 16 years ago in the Aconcagua Valley. The varietal mix has been fine tuned and the oak has also been gradually reduced during the last few years. The process was pretty straightforward, fermentation in stainless steel and aging in French oak barrels (75% of them new) for 22 months. It has a subtle nose with aromas of red and black fruit denoting very good freshness, and the classical tobacco and cracked peppercorns, with the oak nicely integrated adding some spices and faint smoky aromas. The red fruit is remarkable and really adds freshness. Linear, juicy, sharp and long, very tasty and with very fine, slightly grainy tannins. There is superb balance, classical proportion and symmetry. I have not tasted all of the vintages of Seña (one day...), but out of all the years I've tried, this is certainly the best. I'm sure this will bloom in bottle and will have a long development. 60,000 bottles were filled.

The 2013 Sea might very well be their finest vintage to date. 2013 was a cool vintage that favored fresh flavors and elegant and pure wines full of nuances. At Via Sea, they took advantage of the natural conditions and produced a stunning blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carménère, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, sourced from their 42 hectares of vineyards planted some 16 years ago in the Aconcagua Valley. The varietal mix has been fine-tuned and the oak has also been gradually reduced during the last few years. The process was pretty straightforward, fermentation in stainless steel and aging in French oak barrels 75% of them new) for 22 months. It has a subtle nose with aromas of red and black fruit denoting very good freshness, and the classical tobacco and cracked peppercorns, with the oak nicely integrated adding some spices and faint smoky aromas. The red fruit is remarkable and really adds freshness. Linear, juicy, sharp and long, very tasty and with very fine, slightly grainy tannins. There is superb balance, classical proportion and symmetry. I have not tasted all of the vintages of Sea one day...), but out of all the years I've tried, this is certainly the best. I'm sure this will bloom in bottle and will have a long development. 60,000 bottles were filled.