Sena Chilean Wine Tasting With Special Guest Michel Couttolenc Vice President North America

“There is truth in wine, but you never see it listed in the ingredients on the label”
― Josh Stern

I guess wine is above the law when it comes to the FDA and other organizations that regulate what we consume.  Even though most wines are made with very little other than the grapes themselves, there is no way to know based on the label, it is one of the only products that you consume that does not have a list of ingredients- even bottled water is required to have a list of ingredients today.

The best wines today are made with either: sustainable, organic or biodynamic practices and this is not only to make better wines but to maintain better vineyard health.  Just like it is bad for us humans to take antibiotics every time we have a little sniffle or cough, the vineyards are healthier and will live longer more productive lives if they are maintained with natural principles.

Like one of the top wines from Chile we will be showing at our Chilean wine tasting featuring one of the iconic wines of this country and one of the first joint ventures with an outside winery.  We just added several wines to the line-up to make this a truly “Once in a Lifetime” wine tasting event!

Guided by intuition and backed by family heritage, Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi handcrafted a wine of distinctive quality and character. Seña is the culmination of their wonderful partnership and a passionate journey.

Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi pioneered an international joint venture to give life to Chile’s first icon wine in 1995. They named it Seña, a sign to the world that Chile could produce world-class wines and be welcomed, in time, among the world’s First Growths; expressing the uniqueness of the Aconcagua Valley. The wine is a Bordeaux-style red blend with a very Chilean soul given by its Carmenere variety, grown under biodynamic principles. Through an inspiring journey, Seña has positioned itself among the best wines of the world. 

Viñedo Chadwick is a tribute to Don Alfonso Chadwick that showcases the tradition and expertise of the Chadwick family in producing fine wines. The vineyard, originally his personal polo field, is considered the cradle of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile. Located in Puente Alto D.O. Maipo Valley, Viñedo Chadwick made history at the legendary ‘Berlin Tasting’ in January 2004, in which Viñedo Chadwick 2000 was placed first, above the Super Tuscans from Italy, and the First Growth wines from Bordeaux of that vintage.

Join us as we welcome Michel Couttolenc to South Florida for a special tasting featuring these two great Chilean wines with several older vintages going back to 1997 along with a special meal to compliment the tasting wines.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Sena and Vinedos Chadwich Chilean Wine Tasting
With Special Guest Michel Couttolenc Vice President North America
Thursday, December 7th
7:30pm

1997 Sena Red Blend Chile
2009 Sena Red Blend Chile
2015 Sena Red Blend Chile
2017 Sena Red Blend Chile
2020 Sena Red Blend Chile
2021 Sena Red Blend Chile
2009 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2010 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2011 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2012 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2014 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2015 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2016 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2018 Vinedos Chadwick Chile
2021 Vinedos Chadwick Chile

Menu
Selection of Charcuterie and Cheese
Chicken Cazuela
Pastel de Choclo
Beef Short Rib Empanadas with Mole Sauce
Chilean Alfajores

A bit about our Host:

Michel Couttolenc was born in Mexico City in 1968 and began working in the wine industry
while studying at university, as a major in Industrial Relations. In 1992 he began importing and
distributing Los Vascos Lafite Rothschild and Moreau et Fils in Mexico, after which he worked as
Commercial Director for Vinoteca, a company that represents wines such as Beringer, Louis
Latour, Faustino, Errazuriz and Vega Sicilia. He further broadened and solidified his expertise in
the wine industry while working as Commercial Director for high-quality Mexican producer
Monte Xanic, representing and importing Chalone Wine Group in Mexico.
Moving to Toronto, Canada, in 2003, Michel Couttolenc spent ten years as Director of North
America for Chilean vineyards Seña, Arboleda and Errazuriz, and was one of the founding
members of Wines of Chile, a cooperative body responsible for promoting Chilean Wines in
Canada. From December 2011 to May 2014, he worked as Export Director for USA, Canada, and
Mexico for Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Michel oversaw the promotion of château wines for
Mouton Rothschild such as Château Clerc Milon and Petit Mouton.
Since May 2014, Michel Couttolenc is the Fine Wines Director for Seña and Viñedo Chadwick in
North America. He is a founding member of the team who created a sustainable code for wines
in Chile. Michel is one of the leading experts in the field of wines in North and Latin America.

All the Sena and Chadwick wines in the store on SALE!!

2020 SENA, ACONCAGUA VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $159.00                 Your Price: $135.15              Quantity in Stock: 6
The vineyards are 60 miles north of Santiago, this is a single vineyard concept like the great Chateau in Bordeaux, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere, 10% Merlot, the rest isCabernet Franc and petite Verdot. Sena was one of the first iconic wines of Chile, the first release was 1997. Mondavi visited in 1991 first and met with all of the main producers and finally decided to make the partnership with Chaddwick and they found the vineyard site together and developed this Chateau like concept of an iconic wine from Chile. This wine has a beautiful bouquet with 22 months 50% new and 50% second use, this wine has a good bit of that peppery spice and herb notes , very fresh with plum and black cherry fruit, nice complexity on the nose. A big and chewy wine on the tongue but has nice balance with a lot of spice and a good hand of that herbs, tobacco spice and peppery note that is chile. This wine has a very elegant finish, nice richness but restrained and very Bordeaux like at the end very good freshness. Finish 45+ 4000 cases produced on average only 300 cases coming to the US. Most Excellent

2017 SENA, ACONCAGUA VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $159.00                 Your Price: $135.15              Quantity in Stock: 12
(96 Points)  They explained how the 2017 Seña was produced with "grapes that were handpicked in the morning and transported to the winery in 12-kilogram boxes for a careful inspection on a double sorting table. The grapes fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 31 degrees Celsius (77 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the variety and the level of extraction desired. Three pump-overs were carried out daily during fermentation to rotate the volume of the tank 0.5 to 1.5 times. Total maceration time ranged from 15 to 30 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenère and eight to 12 days for the Petit Verdot, according to the development of each block vinified. The final blend was racked to French oak barrels (67% new) and aged for 22 months, during which time malolactic fermentation and stabilization occurred naturally." They harvested early and managed to keep the same alcohol level as the 2016. This has less aromatic exuberance and is a more serious vintage with good concentration and weight, not as aerial as the 2016. They increased the amount of wine matured in larger 2,500-liter foudres instead of barrique. This is more powerful, structured and concentrated, like a drier version of the 2015, with some grainy tannins, more acidity, more austerity and less primary fruit. The tannins have some grip (the earlier harvest perhaps?) and might need a little bit of time in bottle, and the wine seems to have what it takes to develop nicely in bottle. They produced 120,000 bottles of this. It was bottled in February and March 2019. Just for the record, the varietal breakdown is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 15% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot, reflecting a good year for Carmenère and Cabernet Franc.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2009 SENA RED BLEND CHILE
Price: $159.00                 Your Price: $139.92
"The 2009 Sena has an exuberant bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, menthol, crushed stone and graphite that is extremely well defined and more feminine than the 2008. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, taut tannins and superb focus. It has a focused, leafy, tobacco infused finish and great length. Excellent. Drink 2014-2020.

Sena is the peripatetic wine that goes around the world challenging and, let it be said, often defeating First Growths in blind tastings. I will not enter into a discussion about that here, although it must be said that Sena is an impressive wine. Tasting through this mini-vertical from almost the first vintage, I did find a distinct improvement from 2007 onwards. While I understand that older vintages have their share of plaudits, I discerned more complexity and vitality as well as finer integration of oak on newer vintages, as if more thought had gone into the wines. The result can be seen in the wines themselves, in particular the outstanding 2010." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (12/26/2012), Ratings: 92, Drink: 2014-2020

A bit about the Chadwick Family:

The ancient Chadwick surname originated in Scandinavia. From there, it re-emerges in France and later flourished in England and Scotland before crossing the Atlantic to North and South America.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the orders of King William ‘The Conqueror’ shows the first official mention of the name in Staffordshire, where the Chadwick family had been granted lands by William as a reward for its distinguished service at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. An earlier generation of the family had been the Archbishop of Reims, a highly significant religious and political position. The family then features in the ancient English Chronicles, published in the late sixteenth century.This shows how early scions of the Chadwick family contributed much to local politics, first in England and then in Scotland.
In the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, both England and Scotland were troubled by religious and political conflict. The unrest caused many powerful and influential families to think of emigrating to distant lands to create a new life. Branches of the Chadwick families headed for North America, while Thomas Chadwick, grandson of Sir John Chadwick from Oxford (who died there in 1756) chose South America.
In 1820, he settled in Chile’s La Serena, encouraged by the opportunities opening up in the local mining industry. It was Thomas who laid the foundation for the Chadwick family branch in Chile.
Once established in South America, the Chadwick family quickly became active, influential and highly respected members of Chilean society. In 1909 Alejandro Chadwick, grandson of Thomas, married Leonor Errázuriz and the couple gave birth to the Chadwick–Errázuriz line, which would go on to play such a prominent role in the modern era of the Chilean wine industry.
For decades, members of the extended Chadwick family have been society leaders in Britain as well as North and South America. Famous descendants include The Very Reverend Henry Chadwick KBE, FBA, who was Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Another was the distinguished British Diplomat, Sir John Edward Chadwick. Lynn Chadwick was a highly acclaimed sculptor. Sir James Chadwick, Fellow of the Royal Society, was a great physicist and collaborator in atomic research. In particular, he discovered the neutron in 1932 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935. And let us not forget the American composer George Whitefield Chadwick, who wrote the Rip Van Winkle Overture.

Born in 1914 to Alejandro Chadwick and Leonor Errázuriz, Don Alfonso Chadwick is the man most responsible for the family’s proud commitment to forward-thinking winemaking.
Passionate about wine from an early age, Alfonso began his career by setting up Chile’s first wine brokerage in the early 1930s. From then on, he was always in close contact with vineyard owners and wineries. In 1942, long before he became responsible for Viña Errázuriz, Don Alfonso Chadwick had bought the Viña San José de Tocornal estate situated in Puente Alto on the rural outskirts of Santiago. It was here that Don Alfonso built his home and polo field.
Eduardo, the youngest of the children continued with the family's legacy, working tirelessly to raise the quality standards within the Chilean wine industry. Aware of the great potential of the area's terroir, he asked his father to convert his beloved polo field into a vineyard. Thus, Viñedo Chadwick was born as a tribute to Don Alfonso.
The vision of Eduardo Chadwick was always to create a truly great wine from this special vineyard. And there is no question that considerable progress has been made as the vines have matured and the knowledge and understanding have increased. Today, this unrelenting quest for continual improvement in quality has prompted some to suggest that Viñedo Chadwick has taken on the mantle of Chile’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Eduardo’s personal and professional devotion to the service of fine wine and his pursuit of excellence for Viñedo Chadwick have not gone unnoticed. Over the course of his forty year career, he has received many awards and accolades from Chile and around the world. However, the one that he is most proud of is the prestigious title of Decanter Man of the Year, awarded to him in 2018.
Looking to the future, Viñedo Chadwick will continue to thrive and prosper because of the love, belief and support of the Chadwicks. The family will always place its profound faith in this Andean vineyard. Firstly, to showcase its quality. And secondly, to honour the memory and achievements of Don Alfonso. Thirty years after the planting of Viñedo Chadwick, the baton of responsibility has now been passed on to Eduardo’s four daughters – Magui, Mane, Pepa and Ale. They are intensely proud to carry on the important work for this label which bears their surname. Therefore, there will be no let-up in their efforts to produce a world-class wine that reflects the finest expression of this unique place. Just like their father, they are all deeply committed to respecting and enhancing the vineyard and to building a timeless legacy for future generations.

“Viñedo Chadwick represents my long-cherished desire to honour the memory of my father, the late Don Alfonso Chadwick. This unique wine reflects our family’s heritage and tradition of excellence.”

Eduardo Chadwick

2015 VINEDO CHADWICK, MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $410.25                 Your Price: $361.02
(95 Points) I also tasted the 2015 Viñedo Chadwick from a warm and dry vintage that resulted in very healthy grapes that were picked earlier than ever. The parameters are remarkably similar to the 2014, and the winemaking and élevage were also virtually the same, fermentation in stainless steel and aging in French barriques (73% new) and with some 15% matured in a Stockinger oak foudre. As I saw in many other 2015s, this is the most elegant and refined vintage I have seen of this wine. With ultra-refined tannin, the wine is dry, very clean, not minty at all, with very good tension and length, with a chalky, tasty, almost salty finish. Of course, the classical notes of cedar wood, black peppercorns and tobacco are there, but in a very subtle way. Super elegant. 11,493 bottles were filled in February 2017.  Wine Advocate

2016 VINEDO CHADWICK, MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $410.25                 Your Price: $361.02
(97 points) "(13.5%). Fully established as one of the New World's greatest reds, this is a deliciously fresh, nuanced, well-balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. The 80% new wood is very gracefully integrated, complementing the fine, detailed tannins and graphite-scented cassis fruit. Not cheap, but there's no denying the pedigree of this wine. 2022-35. (2019)"  Tim Atkin, MW

2018 VINEDO CHADWICK, MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $410.25                 Your Price: $361.02
(97 Points) “Viñedo Chadwick is a little warmer as a zone than the vineyards of Seña, but the wine is still very fresh, with moderate alcohol, perfectly ripe fruit and super integrated oak, coming through as elegant within the powerful style of the zone, with red and black fruit, some aromatic herbs, the cedary and spicy notes of the variety and the signature tannins of Cabernet, keeping the juiciness of the last few years. The little bit of Petit Verdot in the blend gives it a spicy touch. It’s vibrant, balanced and intense, still a little young and creamy, and I’d wait a little bit longer before pulling the cork. This can surely age in bottle, as it has the ingredients and the balance to do so; it has the elegance of 2016 with a little more structure and depth—and a little more clout too.”  Wine Advocate

2020 VINEDO CHADWICK, MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
Price: $410.25                 Your Price: $361.02
(97 points) The 2020 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and concrete or troncoconic vats, and this year more of the wine matured in Stockinger foudre—more than 25% of the volume—for 22 months. They did a softer extraction to compensate for the warmer year, and the moderate alcohol helped to keep the oak extraction to a minimum; as a result, the wine comes through as very harmonious and elegant. It has good ripeness and an absence of herbal and minty aromas; the wine from older vines behaves better—the grapes ripen and the alcohol (with good management of the irrigation) with moderate yields produce this unique Cabernet. The palate is round and velvety, keeping very good freshness and a texture and mouthfeel that does not reflect a warmer year at all. This is delicate and juicy with very good intensity of fruit and no room for sweetness or over-ripeness. A triumph over the natural conditions of the year. 10,000 bottles produced. It was bottled the 1st of February 2022.           - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Issue # 262 - Aug 2022