Winemaker Notes
Château Sénéjac 2016 presents a deep red color with garnet reflections. The first nose is very open, precise with notes of black cherries and blackberries. After stirring, the nose takes on its fullness, with complex notes of red fruits, associated with the toasted vanilla from the barrel. The palate is dense and opulent. The texture is very precise, thanks to very good quality tannins and good management of our extractions during vinification. Sénéjac 2016 is powerful while remaining very elegant and is expressed by a good length in the mouth, silky and well-integrated tannins. This vintage is one of the best of the property. It combines concentration and gluttony and it is undoubtedly a very good aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very charming and precocious with ripe-redcurrant character and a lovely combination of delicate sweetness and supple tannins on the palate, the finish long and silky. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
From the Bignon-Cordier family, this is a sleek, sexy Médoc with good chewy tannins and a lovely rich texture to the blackberry fruit. It has a serious edge, showing some menthol notes on the finish and a feeling of freshness that accompanies the entire experience beginning to end. Good persistency. A successful vintage here. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Senejac gives notions of crushed red and black cherries, mulberries and cassis with touches of earth, violets, chocolate box and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and laden with bags of juicy fruit, it has a soft structure and great length.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.