Cienna is a red variety developed by CSIRO in Australia as part of a program aiming to produce quality grape varieties suited to Australian conditions. After the varieties had been developed, continuing research included field evaluation of the varieties in vineyards in Coonawarra, Avoca and Sunraysia, and a period of evaluation by wine companies, including Brown Brothers and Yalumba.
The name Cienna was chosen after extensive consultation and is a variant of Sienna, a term denoting a pigment used in painting drawn in turn from the Italian (terra di) or (earth of) Siena, the Tuscan city and region noted for Chianti Classico.
A cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Catalonian Sumoll, a variety suited to warm, dry growing conditions in many of Australia’s wine regions, Cienna ripens at the same time as Cabernet, but produces higher yields. Wines showed acidity around the same range as Cabernet Sauvignon, lower pH and higher colour density.
As a straight varietal, Cienna is a vibrant beetroot red, with aromas of fresh raspberries and strawberries, soft and juicy with cherry flavours, good natural acidity and tannin structure, best enjoyed young and well chilled.
Brown Brothers have taken a non-traditional approach in the winery, aiming for a style with a hint of frizzante to fill a niche between their Moscato, and their chilled Dolcetto & Syrah, sweeter with less tannin than the Dolcetto blend, and about 3 per cent lower in alcohol.
Cienna should be suited to game dishes, Indian curries, pizza, as well as desserts with berries and fresh fruits.
