James Suckling 96 Points, Zekun Shuai, JamesSuckling.com:
“Very racy, vibrant and intense with a heap of pure red fruit, full of strawberries, red cherries and a hint of spice, flowers and blue fruit. A subtle twist of mineral, too. Medium-bodied, linear, long and subtle on the palate, sandwiched by very fine, polished tannins. Precision and purity are the words. Elegant and slightly austere with a very long, subtle finish. 35% malbec, 21% syrah, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 10% grenache, 9% petit verdot and 5% mourvedre. 50,000 bottles made, which is a little more than the 2020 vintage. Drink or hold.” 04/23
Wine Advocate 94 points.
"The second vintage of their second wine, the 2021 Rocas de Seña is less opulent and with more tension and floral aromas (but with power too) than the 2020. It was produced with a blend of 35% Malbec, 21% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Grenache, 9% Petit Verdot and, for the first time, 5% Mourvedre. Grenache and Mourvedre were planted in 2005 on the family's other property that was first planted in 1999 with Syrah. It's a little below the 14% alcohol stated on the label. It fermented mostly in stainless steel and some concrete eggs for the Garnacha, and it aged separately before being blended, lowering the total time in barrel to 18 to 20 months. It's floral, perfumed, elegant and expressive, with herbal freshness and a spicy twist from the barrels. The palate is fine-boned, balanced and elegant. You notice the different aromatic and gustative palette when tasted next to Seña, with fine-grained, chalky tannins. This is a noteworthy second label with drinkability and aging capability. 50,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2023."
Seña has finished the redistribution and replanting of their vineyards after a soils study, using the new Malbecs and some Petit Verdot in the second wine, Rocas de Seña, with a base of Malbec with Cabernet and with some Mediterranean grapes (Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre).
2021 was a cooler year without high peaks in the summer, which is key, reasonable rain in winter and the good conditions for settling and cooler temperatures than the average in the summer. It's a healthy vintage, similar to 2016, with less rain and acidity and with a little more structure and concentration but with finesse and balance and a little slimmer than the 2018s. They harvested later than in 2020 and 2019. 2021 is the last harvest from winemaker Francisco "Pancho" Baettig, who is now dedicated to his personal project in the south but still working as a consultant for the Chadwick family after 20 years of dedication.
Published: Sep 01, 2023.
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