Viña Seña 2020

Critic scores

• James Suckling98
• Wine Advocate97
• Decanter95
• Wine Enthusiast95
• Vinous94

The 2020 vintage in Aconcagua

Vintage character: A warm season, tempered in February by Pacific winds, and a harvest brought forward by a week: dense, opulent wines, with round tannins.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Aconcagua. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

A deep, magnificent garnet-red color with violet highlights, Seña 2020 shows complexity on the nose, with multiple layers of aromas of fresh red fruit such as cherries and raspberries, accompanied by violets and pleasant touches of fennel and rosemary, the whole framed by light notes of sweet spice. On the palate, one finds young fruit, more sweet spice and soft balsamic tones. It is fresh and juicy, with elegant, fine tannins that create a silky, pleasant sensation. The 2020 vintage of Seña shows elegance and balance, with a broad, deep finish." - Francisco Baettig, Winemaker.

Blend of the 2020 vintage

Winemaking

The grapes were hand-picked in the morning and transported to the winery in 12 kg boxes for careful inspection on a double sorting table to remove plant debris and imperfect berries. 75% of the grapes were fermented in stainless steel vats and 25% in concrete vats between 23° and 28°C, depending on the variety and the desired level of extraction. Three pump-overs were carried out daily during fermentation to achieve a turnover of 0.5 to 1.5 times the volume of the vat. Total maceration time ranged from 12 to 30 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, and from 8 to 12 days for the Petit Verdot, depending on the development of each vinified block.

Ageing

22 months, 90% French oak barrels (78% new) and 10% foudre.

Terroir

The Seña vineyard covers 42 hectares planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Syrah. The soils extend across the slopes of the valley and are extremely diverse. The climate is slightly cooler than the regions that traditionally produce Chilean red wines, but warm enough for the grapes to reach an excellent level of ripeness. Harvesting takes place on average two weeks later than in the vineyards situated further inside the valley.