1996 Red
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Tasting notes
The inaugural vintage of this benchmark Chilean wine, the 1996 Sena predates the establishment of the current Seña vineyard and was sourced from grapes from the Panquehue near the Errázuriz facility. A lovely, fully mature nose of dried black fruits, cigar wrapper and the remnants of toasted oak introduce an elegantly rich palate that concludes with a nuanced, savory finish of melting tannins and a distinctly herbal and pepper-tinged perfume. While I suspect this is toward the end of its prime and unlikely to improve, it is in a delicious spot and should hold for the next 5-7 years. The blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Carménère, aged for 15 months in new oak.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Seña was born in 1995: a joint venture between Mondavi and Chatwick. The 1996 vintage is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Carménère and spent 15 months in French barrels. Still developing even now, the nose offers cocoa, strawberry, mushrooms and truffles with mint and tar. Silky with fine, still reactive tannins and a bold, pleasant freshness. An aged jewel.
Dark ruby with rust-coloured rim. Dusty cocoa-powder nose and a hint of mint. Losing fruit and guts but well mannered. Now this is a bit simple and veering towards gaminess. Tim Mondavi was involved, keen to make elegant style. (JR)
About the producer
Seña – literally meaning “signal” – was Chile’s first icon wine. In the early 1990s, the country had a reputation mainly for lower-end, high-volume wines, but Eduardo Chadwick, owner and president of Viña Errázuriz, set out to change that.