Pacific Granite, Ocean Breath: Seña 2018

I pour and the glass darkens like twilight over the coastal hills—garnet at the core, a clear rim like the first star. The nose unfurls in slow ribbons: cassis and maqui berry, a line of graphite, a bay leaf tucked behind a cedar shutter. Young yet composed, it benefits from patience; give it an unhurried decant—about an hour and a half—to let the edges knit. At 16–17 °C the fruit hums and the tannin—the gentle, drying grip you feel along the cheeks—turns silk. A tall, tulip-bowled Bordeaux stem gathers the aromas and lifts the finish. This is a wine that rewards listening.

Chile, Aconcagua Valley: a westward-facing amphitheatre that drinks Pacific breezes. Seña is the estate; Eduardo Chadwick’s vision planted on sloping, stony ground, its team farming sustainably with an eye to biodiversity. The wine is a classic Chilean Bordeaux blend—Cabernet Sauvignon leading, with Carmenère, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot in support—drawn from hillside parcels of decomposed granite and colluvial stones, where a Mediterranean rhythm of sunny days and cool nights writes the season’s script.

Pacific granite and laurel in the glass

On the palate, Seña 2018 feels both taut and generous: ripe blackcurrant and blueberry glide over a cool, mineral line, then widen to cocoa nib, tobacco leaf, and a whisper of dried violet. Acidity is bright but not sharp; think mountain shade rather than lemon. Tannins are fine-grained, confident without swagger, and the body sits at that poised place between medium-plus and full. A brush of well-judged French oak lends spice without stealing the scene. The vintage itself carries the calm of a long, even season—cool nights that preserved perfume and a finish that lingers like salt on warm stone.

Food, then, should meet structure with structure, scent with scent. Fat eases tannin; fire lends echo; herbs bridge the savory line that Chilean reds often draw so beautifully. And always a note on umami: it can make firm reds taste harder; salt, fat, and protein are your allies to keep the wine supple.

Fat, char, and the Cabernet handshake

For classic comforts, roast lamb is the homing signal. A leg rubbed with rosemary and anchovy, crisped at the edges, lines up perfectly with Seña’s laurel and cassis; the lamb’s fat softens the tannin while a pan jus mirrors the wine’s dark fruit. Or choose a thick-cut, bone-in ribeye from the grill—char as a seasoning, not a mask. The marbled richness draws out the core of blackcurrant and cocoa, and the smoky crust answers the graphite. Keep the seasoning purposeful and restrained; salt is not an enemy here, it’s the bridge.

When the mood shifts to adventure, slow-braised beef short ribs with soy, star anise, and the citrus lift of orange peel create a sensuous, structured dialogue. Yes, there’s umami, but collagen and salt keep the wine’s fruit alive, and the spice riffs quietly on the oak. Alternatively, duck with a bittersweet cacao rub and roasted plums plays into Seña’s floral-cocoa register; the bird’s refined fat meets the tannins halfway, and the fruit notes braid without tipping into sweetness.

Umami tamed by salt and fat

Vegetarian luxuries can be transcendent with this vintage if you cook for texture as much as flavor. A porcini-and-truffle risotto, finished with plenty of butter and aged cheese, gives protein and fat to cushion umami while amplifying the wine’s forest-floor whisper. Or sear thick planks of celeriac in brown butter until caramel at the edges and serve over parmesan polenta: caramelization echoes the oak spice, the polenta’s cream steadies the tannin, and the root’s savory sweetness invites another sip.

For small indulgences and sides, think polish rather than weight. Pommes Anna—thin potatoes layered and bronzed—offer clarified butter and crisp edges that make Seña positively purr; their simplicity is the point. Or a soft bed of coarse polenta under a glossy bordelaise, the sauce’s reduced stock and wine stitching the pairing into a single fabric. These garnishes don’t compete; they set the table for the finish to go on.

I have long walked between seasons, a goddess of vine and ledger; the sap of spring and the hush of cellars are both my tongue. In that quiet, I’ve learned that pairing is less rule than reassurance: choose balance, honor the wine’s center, and the meal becomes a conversation among friends.

A savory farewell over cheese

Seña 2018 is dry and dignified—no dessert duet needed. Instead, end with aged sheep’s cheese or a well-matured Comté. Salt and tyrosine crunch lift fruit; nutty depth leans into the wine’s cocoa and tobacco. If you want a small sweetness at the lip of the night, a final splash with a slice of fresh plum beside the cheese will do more for the wine than any sugared course.

Serve with care and you’ll be repaid. Decant with patience; let 16–17 °C be your north star; choose a tall tulip bowl and hold the stem to keep the temperature true. Seña 2018 is vivid now, its fruit and spice in fine duet, but it will gain timbre and tenderness across the decade—expect deeper harmonies through 2030 and well beyond, the cassis turning to black tea and the laurel to cigar leaf. I bless it to your table: granite underfoot, ocean in the air, a generous, steady heart in the glass.