2010 Sena Dry Red

 Another utterly superb and seamlessly constructed Sena.

The wine is the result of a collaboration between the late Robert Mondavi and Chile’s Eduardo Chadwick. In the last two decades, several ambitious Chilean producers have attempted to define the limits of Chile's viticultural potential by producing an ultimate expression of terroir. Known as 'icon wines', the success of the most famous example, 'Sena', is partly attributable to the flamboyant promotional efforts of its creator, Eduardo Chadwick, a fifth generation family member of Vina Errazuriz. In particular, it was Chadwick's organising of international tastings and seminars that put Sena in the limelight. Starting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Berlin, Chadwick invited forty of Europe's leading wine writers, critics, sommeliers and trade to taste 'blind' a selection of the world's finest wines, including Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite, Sassacaia and Tignanello from the 2000 and 2001 vintages. The event promised a David-and-Goliath-style contest between Chile and some of France's and Italy's top wine estates...and it was Chile that bagged three of the top five scores". Sena came out on top.

Andrew Catchpole, wine writer for UK's Daily Telegraph, who took part in the tasting reflected afterwards "...I had always thought of Seña and Viñedo Chadwick and several other expensive cult wines over-priced and overhyped. Berlin changed my mind. Given the choice of a bottle of Lafite for £285 or six Seña with change to spare, the Chilean newcomers suddenly look remarkably good value. The real lesson of Berlin is not to let price or labels pull the wool over your eyes. Neither is a guarantee of quality."

Tasting Note….
Produced from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot the 2010 Sena was matured in French oak (77% new) for a period of 22 months. Totally opaque black crimson colour with deep dark crimson red hue. Perfumed aromas of blackcurrant and ripe mulberry are intermixed with some cigar box, tobacco leaf, cedar and spice. Magnificently concentrated, multi layered and rich the palate delivers explosive flavours of ripe blackcurrant and dark mulberry followed by some cedary cigar box like characters, earthy tobacco and spice. A beautifully constructed wine with velvet smooth tannins and superb persistence of flavour. Exceptionally long ripe blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco and spice aftertaste.
Cellar 8-10 years.
Alc 14.0%