Vina Sena
The wine estate Viña Sena is located in the Chilean Aconcagua Valley, north of the capital Santiago. The vineyards are located only 40 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard area has rapidly grown to 42 hectares. The first vines with Bordeaux varieties and Carménère were planted in 1998.
Viña Sena originated from a successful collaboration between Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi. Before that time, Eduardo worked for his father in the wine company Viña Errázuriz. In the early 1990s, Eduardo was asked to give Robert and his wife a tour of central Chile. During that week, they visited many wineries and vineyards together. This eventually led to a partnership. The two went in search of the perfect terroir to showcase Chile's potential. The search eventually took four years!
The soil consists of volcanic rock with loess, gravel and clay-like loam. This combination of soil types provides good drainage and mineral nutrients. The valley has a Mediterranean climate with dry and sunny summers and cool winters. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean ensures that the average temperature is not too high. This creates an ideal environment for the ripening of healthy and high-quality grapes. From the start, the goal was to work as naturally as possible. That is why they work biodynamically, and the winery makes its own compost, for example. The compost is scattered in the vineyard in winter so that the soil is able to absorb the nutrients and prepare for a new season.
Seña is a wine in which Bordeaux meets Chile. The wine consists mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère, supplemented by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The wine ages on average for 22 months in French oak barrels.
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!
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