Sena | Valle de Aconcagua 2020 / 750 ml.

Complex, with savory, spicy character, showing tobacco, salted plums, olives, black cherries, cassis and a hint of white pepper on the nose, followed by a refined, savory, balsamic accent. A full-bodied Seña with juicy fruit chiseling into the tight, extremely fine-grained tannins. Long, bright and still elegant from this warm vintage. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 25% malbec, 15% carmenere and 7% petit verdot. A wine with lots of harmony now, but better to drink from 2025.

The 2020 Seña is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 7% Petit Verdot (a little higher in search of acidity) from grapes harvested early, the second week of March, and fermented mostly in stainless steel and 10% in concrete eggs. It has a moderate 13.5% alcohol and good freshness. It’s subtle and layered, not only fruit but with more spice; it has polished tannins and very integrated oak after 22 months in barrique, 78% new, and with 10% of the volume in large Stockinger barrels. The warmer years seem to be nicely managed, so that it’s not reflected in the ripeness but is more a matter of texture and quality of the tannins; in the warmer years, like 2017 or this 2019, the wines have a little more grip, but these are definitely finer than those from the 2017 vintage. This wine has intensity and complexity, with no mintiness or herbal notes; it’s spicy and juicy, with energy and depth. It has structure, color, stuffing and acidity to develop nicely in bottle. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2022. (Luis Gutiérrez)

Violets, ripe cherry and red-plum aromas are delicate. Light notes of cinnamon and dried herbs fill up the bouquet. This is one of Chile’s iconic wines from a warm vintage in Aconcagua Valley that delivers good concentration of fruit on the ripe palate. Blackberry and cherry flavors are followed by light notes of oak spice. It has lively linear acidity and big tannins. It’s good to drink now and promise a good future. Drink through 2030. (Jesica Vargas)

Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick founded this joint venture in 1995, in the volcanic soils of the Aconcagua Valley, north of Santiago, and west of Chadwick’s Viña Errazuriz. In this 2020 blend based on cabernet sauvignon and carmenère, scents of orange peel and cinnamon reveal the volatility and oak that centers the wine. But there’s also plenty of red fruit taken to heady ripeness, while still holding elegance. Open, cedary and easy to enjoy, this is ready for steak au poivre.

Suave and polished, featuring flavors of floral currant and plum preserves, with a mineral underpinning and fresh acidity. Ends with loam and spice nuances and firm tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carmenère and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032. 8,334 cases made, 590 cases imported. (Aaron Romano)