First taste: Seña 2016 vintage released

This could be the best Seña wine yet, according to Decanter expert Patrico Tapia, who tasted the 2016 vintage to coincide with its release via the Place de Bordeaux.

Seña 2015 may have been released to high acclaim in some quarters, but Decanter expert Patricio Tapia believes that the still-young Seña 2016 vintage has the potential to go one better. He rated it 97 points after tasting in Santiago this week.

The Eduardo Chadwick-owned Chilean winery released the 2016 wine globally via the Place de Bordeaux on 10 September.

The 2016 comprises 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 15% Petit Verdot, 8% Carménère and 2% Cabernet Franc, according to Seña.

Despite a warm summer, a cool beginning to the growing season meant that veraison in 2016 began around 10 days later than in the generally warmer 2015 vintage, said Seña. Rain then arrived towards the end of harvest in late April.

This appeared to have affected Carménère, which was picked after the rain, and made up just 8% of the Seña 2016 blend – versus 21% in the 2015 vintage, according to Seña’s technical sheets.

Malbec in the 2015 vintage made up 12% of the final wine, with Cabernet Sauvignon on 57%.

Liv-ex data showed that, in sterling currency terms, the Seña 2016 was the most expensive of the last 10 Seña vintages on the market, with the exception of the 2007.

The trading platform said that the vintage had been released by Bordeaux merchants at 84 euros per bottle, up by 7.7% on the equivalent 2015 vintage release price.

In the US, several merchants were not yet offering the wine on general release.

Of those who were, Benchmark Wine Group in California was offering the 2016 on pre-arrival for $139 per 75cl bottle in bond, with the 2015 at $125.

Patricio Tapia is a Decanter World Wine Awards regional chair.

See exclusive tasting notes on Seña 2015 and 2016 wines

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