Seña 2014 previewed in Hong Kong

Ahead of its official release, members of Hong Kong’s wine trade and media had a glimpse of the new 2014 vintage from Vina Seña.

Aged for 22 months in barrels – 67% new French oak – Sena 2014’s assemblage is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Carmenere, 11% Malbec, 8% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

Despite a “challenging growing season” Hong Kong’s wine critic, James Suckling gave a rating of 97 points, describing it as: “Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Balanced and very refined. A wonderful purity and beauty.”

The 2013-2014 season started with frosts at the end of winter which resulted in lower yields but as the temperatures rose during spring coupled with dry conditions, there was a healthy flowering and fruit set. A warm and dry summer saw a short veraison with temperatures slowly falling in February and an “overtly” cool March. The grapes ripened steadily “giving great tannic structure and depth” according to Sena’s vintage reports.

Fongyee Walker, who has recently been named as the China Mainland’s first MW also noted:

“Combining a sense of grace with underlying power, the Seña 2014 is a wonderful expression of the vintage with concentrated bright notes of blackberry, mulberry and spice.

“Maintaining a sense of elegance throughout, it also shows a lovely weight on the palate, with ­fine, long tannins and refi­ned acidity. Within the wine is contained a tremendous sense of unreleased energy and tautness with a fullness enveloping a beautifully structured core. With remarkable length, this incredibly youthful yet already appealing wine has a remarkable life of development ahead.”

Founded in 1995 by Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi as Chile’s first ‘icon’ wine, Seña made headlines in 2004 when its 2001 vintage was placed second before Chateau Lafite 2000 in the ‘Berlin tasting.’