Seña Demonstrates its Iconic Position at 2012 Vinexpo Hong Kong Eduardo Chadwick and Jeannie Cho Lee MW. With Seña, in front of Vinexpo s booth. (Hong Kong, 30 th May 2012).- In an exclusive Master Class of Seña carried out in the context of the prestigious wine fair Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2012, the most expert palates in the region were delighted to taste Seña s world-class vintages dating back to its origin in 1995, up to its en primeur 2010 vintage. After a successful vertical tasting tour carried out last year in Asia, Seña decided to seize Hong Kong as a platform in order to showcase its ageing potential through eight historical vintages, from this wine s conception in 1995 up to its en primeur Seña s 2010 vintage, in a Master Class conducted by Jeannie Cho Lee MW during Vinexpo 2012. The event entitled Seña s Terroir Revealed through 8 Great Vintages attracted the attention of important wine-personalities of the Asia Pacific region, among them, Lynne Sherriff, Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine. In a market highly influenced by image, Seña s Master Class was a highlight during Vinexpo. The event was originally conceived for 60 attendees, but turned out to be over-demanded. About 100 members of the Asian wine-trade, including sommeliers, journalists and buyers were queuing for entering 45 minutes before the confirmed time the morning of May 30 th. The persons that could not participate in the event had the opportunity to taste the same vintages at Seña s booth later on.
The tasting allowed an important group of wine professionals from the Asia Pacific region to be surprised by and to discover the different facets of Seña's personality and character, evolving along time, letting them to appreciate its worldclass ageing potential. The Master Class was hosted by Viña Seña s President & Owner, Eduardo Chadwick, who shared this Icon wine s Lynne Sherriff MW among numerous tasters during Seña s Master Class. journey, from a visionary entrepreneurship; through his quest for recognition; and the evolution towards its commitment to sustainability and biodynamics. Seña has shown consistently high quality in blind tastings around the world he explained. Now, through this master class, we were aiming to show Seña s aging potential, showcasing seventeen years of history and milestones since 1995 and up to its en primeur 2010 harvest. It was a great pleasure to have the chance to share our history and passion for Seña with Asian wine lovers and connoisseurs, making clear that Seña, and indeed many of the top wines of Chile, possess quality, pedigree and ageability to stand among the very best wines of the world. Joining him in the conduction was Jeannie Cho Lee, the first Asian Master of Wine and one of the world s foremost wine experts, who offered her thoughts on how these eight vintages showcase the expression of Seña s unique and unrepeatable terroir. This was the perfect opportunity she remarked to answer all the questions many wine professionals were asking me about Seña's ageing potential and older vintages since last year s vertical tour in Asia. They could judge and discover Seña s evolution in time for themselves. And the wines really expressed themselves. It was also very interesting to have the chance to appreciate the magic performed by each season on the wines. Also, showcasing the tremendous quality of this Chilean Icon wine in Asia is very positive for Chile s image in general. The Master Class and Vertical Tasting of Seña at the Vinexpo wine fair came preceded by two successful first Seña Vertical Tastings, both in London (on May 18 th ) and in Zurich (May 23 rd ). These events formed part of a tour that travelled through some of the most demanding markets in the world, showcasing this wine s ageing potential. (Learn more about these Vertical Tastings at: http://www.sena.cl/en/news.php)
Impressive booth at the Vinexpo Wine Fair In order to literally transport the attendees of the Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2012 wine fair in Hong Kong back to its origin in Chile s Valle de Aconcagua and to showcase the place where all its Icon wines are created, the Errázuriz Group, from which Viña Seña is a member of, decided to build a booth they would never forget: a scale replica of its Don Maximiano Icon Winery. The Icon Winery was inaugurated in Chile the year The team showcasing the group s Icon Wines. 2010 and incorporates latestgeneration technology for sustainable wine-production, making it the maximum symbol of the vocation for excellence, as well as of the visionary and innovative spirit that has motivated this Chilean winery since its foundation in 1870. Set in a privileged location within Vinexpo, one of the most important events on the wine-industry calendar, the impressively designed Errázuriz Icon Wines booth captivated the public and was an obligatory stop during the three-day exhibition. Eduardo Chadwick, in front of the crowded booth. The granitic walls of the Errázuriz Icon Winery were truly represented by the booth.
Tasting s Historical Background The vertical blind tastings of Seña follow in the spirit of the 1976 Judgement of Paris organized by Steven Spurrier, described by writer George Taber as the tasting that changed the world of wine. During the 1976 Paris tasting, Taber attended as the sole media representative with Time Magazine where he worked as a correspondent at the time. As a result, a New World wine was placed top by tasters. The winning wine was 1973 Stag s Leap Wine Cellars which beat 1970 Mouton-Rothschild, 1970 Montrose and 1970 Haut Brion, among other top Bordeaux wines. In 2001, famous wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. said about the tasting, the Paris Tasting destroyed the myth of French supremacy and marked the democratisation of the wine world. It was a watershed in the history of wine. In turn, Steven Spurrier himself commented afterwards, the wine world is a much more open place now than it could have been imagined back in 1976, and if some comparative blind tastings show some surprises by recognising quality from previously unconsidered regions, that is what they are for. The Berlin Tasting (Germany, January 2004). Following the Paris tasting, it is the 2004 Berlin Tasting* that will most likely be associated with elevating Chilean red wines to the status of some of the best wines of the world. On the 23rd of January 2004, fifty of Europe's most highly regarded wine journalists, writers and buyers gathered in Berlin for a blind tasting of 16 wines. The line-up included sought-after wines such as Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Château Latour, Tignanello, Sassicaia and Solaia. The result was that Viñedo Chadwick 2000 and Seña 2001 took the top two spots in this blind tasting. Seña s first vertical tasting tour in Asia** carried out during October- November 2011 marked another milestone for the wines of Chile. By tasting different vintages of Seña including its very first vintage, 1995, side by side with their Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé counterparts, these tasting results, giving the top spots to Seña, added a new dimension to the success of Chilean wines. They revealed not only Seña s quality but also, its ageability and evolution over time. * For more details on the entire Berlin Tasting experience, please visit: http://www.theberlintasting.com/ ** To learn more about Seña s Vertical Tour in Asia, please visit: http://sena.cl/en/news_on.php?id=170
Additional Information About Seña Following the sign of their intuition, in 1995 Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick pioneered Chile's first international joint venture, a bold and forwardthinking move in those times. They set a very challenging goal: to reach the full potential of Chile's wine country and to create a truly world-class wine. These two distinguished traditional wine families shared the passion for excellence and innovation. Sharing their dream, efforts, and dedication, in 1997 they released the first vintage of Seña (1995), Chile's first Icon wine which marked a milestone and initiated the path for making Ultra Premium wines in Chile. Eduardo Chadwick searched alongside Robert Mondavi for four years before finding the ideal terroir in Chile's Valle de Aconcagua that spoke to their instincts. Seña is the culmination of their vision, an expression of consummate quality and character. The beautiful Seña hillside property is located on the western side of the Valle de Aconcagua, 41 km from the Pacific Ocean. Seña's vineyard comprises 42 hectares and its design enhances the conservation and protection of the native ecosystems in accordance with the biodynamic principles under which it is farmed. Seña, a unique Chilean blend, is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon provides the structure while the Carmenere provides the Chilean terroir identity.
About Eduardo Chadwick Eduardo Chadwick, Owner and President of Viña Seña and President of Viña Errázuriz, continued his father's legacy, sharing as he does his family passion for wine and pursuit of excellence. Viña Errázuriz, found in 1870 is described as the quality benchmark from Chile and as among the world s finest by the top world wine critics. He is a member of the Board of the Chilean Wine Exports Association based in Santiago, Chile. Eduardo is also a Major Supporter of the Institute of the Masters of Wine and recognised as one of the fifty most influential personalities of the wine industry, with Decanter. He is also a member of the Chilean Brotherhood of Merit in the Wine Industry to look after the authenticity, quality and image of Chilean wine. Eduardo had been an active ambassador of the Chilean wines throughout the world. In 2004, he came up with the idea of doing a technical seminar to educate top European critics on Chile's unique terroir and to compare them vis-à-vis the most traditional regions of the world: Bordeaux and Tuscany. Guided by his faith in Erráruriz and Seña wines, Chadwick arranged a blind tasting in Berlin, and was followed by comparative tasting, pitching his wines against the best of these regions in blind equal conditions, and the big surprise for all was that his wines, Viñedo Chadwick 2000 and Seña 2001 came in first and second places atop all the revered First Growths and Super Tuscan wines. Now well-known simply as The Berlin Tasting, this event has been recreated in the main capitals around the world, showcasing Chilean wines world-class status.
About Jeannie Cho Lee MW Jeannie Cho Lee is the first Asian Master of Wine, an award-winning author and one of the world s foremost wine experts. She is a Contributing Editor for Decanter Magazine (UK), Co-Chair of Decanter Asia Wine Awards and is a columnist for the South China Morning Post, China Business News, Noblesse and Decanter Taiwan. For nearly two decades, Jeannie has been a regular contributor to notable wine publications around the world, including Wine Spectator, Wine Business International, The World of Fine Wine and Revue du Vin. Jeannie is a much sought-after wine consultant, speaker, judge and educator. She is currently a Wine Consultant for Galaxy Macau, responsible for the master wine list of nearly 50 F&B outlets, as well as for Singapore Airlines, involved in selecting all the wines served on all routes. Recognized for her contributions to the wine industry, Jeannie won the Vinitaly Award in 2009. To find out more, please contact: Anty Fung Asian Palate (in Asia) anty@asianpalate.com or: Verónica Steinbrügge Communications Manager (in Chile) vstein@chadwickwines.cl