Wine Advocate
byJay Millerthe6/29/2007
The 2000 Sena (77% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot and Carmenere) remains purple-colored with a high-class perfume of pain grille, vanilla, black currant, and blueberry. This is followed by a supple, forward wine with soft tannins and a long, pure finish. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 8 years. Sena was originally a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick. The first vintage was in 1995 and in 1999 the Sena Hillside Vineyard was purchased. Currently, all the grapes going into Sena come from this biodynamically farmed vineyard. It is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, and Cabernet Franc. In a typical vintage Sena is about three-fourths Cabernet Sauvignon although in 2003, Cabernet Sauvignon composed 52% of the blend and Merlot 40%. The wine is aged for 18 months in predominantly new French oak.