On July 21, 2007, J.K. Rowling released her seventh and final book of a most memorable series. In just 24 hours, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold more than 11 million copies!
On that same day, in a land more fascinating than Hogwarts, Seña 2007 was getting settled in French oak barrels at the end of the real world. Time working its magic to impress palates long after the Potter frenzy was to inevitably fade. After all, there will always be another mass success.
Both have fared quite well over the years, two classics that will continue to captivate for many more.
“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”
And yet, Seña experienced the exact opposite. From the very start, winemaking legends Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick set out to make their joint venture an icon. Skill and exploration led them to the unforgettable: Seña, an example of Chile’s potential to make wines that are among the best in the world.
The first vintage is from 1995 and in its lifetime, Seña has received consistent scoring from mouths that matter of near-to or a perfect 100 points.
Based on a Bordeaux blend, Seña 2007 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere, 12% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The grapes were farmed biodynamically upon the foothills of the massive Andes Mountains in Chile’s Aconcagua Valley.
In 2007 I was still too young to drink (legally, mwah haha), an avid reader of Harry Potter, and ignorant to the world of good wine. I was devouring pages shrouded with death, all the while a liquid was coming to life that I would savor years later and admire far more than a few fictional characters.
A sip of Seña is much like captivating words on a page. It takes you from whatever your current state, and launches you into a world of magical aromas and intricate flavors that as Robert Parker so accurately states “border on kinky.”
Harry Potter was different and not accepted at first.
A fine wine from Chile was hardly thought possible for much of these modern times.
And here we are 14 years later, both book and wine with still so much life to give. Two classics.
The thing is, however, that a great novel can be reprinted and possess all sorts of special editions. A great wine is finite. Most bottles are drunk, and rightfully so, especially when it’s Seña, but we’ve held on to a few and you can too. Don’t let this become that wine who shall not be named because you didn’t believe in magic!