Screaming Eagle
About Screaming Eagle
Screaming Eagle is an icon of the global fine wine scene. Every oenophile knows it, but so few have been fortunate enough to sample it that tales of its complexity, power and purity are mere hearsay to many.
As recently as 1986, Jean Philips and Tony Bowden purchased a 48-acre vineyard in the heart of Oakville, planted with an inconsistent mix of varietal vines. For a number of years, Philips sold her fruit to neighbouring Napa wineries with both the winemaking facilities and knowledge which she herself lacked. Who else could have identified the potential of this terroir, the quality of the grapes and the exciting possibility of an estate bottling than the grandfather of Napa himself – Robert Mondavi...
Mondavi played matchmaker to perfection when he introduced Philips to winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett. The inaugural vintage of Screaming Eagle in 1992 – a name regarding which the great Mondavi had expressed severe scepticism – was released to critical acclaim in the form of 99 points from Robert M. Parker Jr. Catapulted into the collective consciousness of the most discerning fine wine lovers the world over, Philips took a well-deserved retirement in 2006 when she sold the now mythical estate, leaving it firmly atop the pyramid of truly great producers having surpassed many centuries-old châteaux and domaines in less than three decades.
Viniculture
Despite its relatively small size, Screaming Eagle’s brilliance lies partly in the staggering variety of soils and therefore terroir found within its borders. Rocks, gravel, loam and clay are all found in varying ratios across its vineyard, as well as microclimates differentiated by those plots subject to the cooling breezes of the San Pablo Bay and those East-facing vines subject to radiant Californian sunlight.
Of all the fabulous wineries throughout the Napa Valley, Screaming Eagle is perhaps the single most deserving of the epithet “cult”. At barely 48 acres under vine, Screaming Eagle is the single smallest estate winery in Napa. Rarely opening its doors to visitors of any sought, its farming techniques have even been the subject of vinous espionage over the years! Finally, one need only mention its name to those with an interest in fine wine to understand how pervasive the desirability and prestige of this gorgeous wine is amongst its acolytes and admirers alike.
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James Suckling (99)
Extremely perfumed with blackberries, currants and flower. Rose petals, too. Seductive. Medium to full body. It grows on the palate with an extremely long finish that goes on for minutes. The tannins are ultra-fine and polished. Purity and essence to this. Feminine yet wild and unpredictable. Available in March. Better in 2021.د.إ34,408.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2015 Screaming Eagle is another monumental wine from this address, and it's one of those cases where if you afford it, you should buy it. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, this magical elixir boasts a deep purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blueberries, creme de cassis, violets, incense, and cedarwood. Reminding me of the 2015 Château Margaux with its off the charts class and purity, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly textured, and has a finish that just won't quit. This legendary wine is going to keep for 30-40 years.د.إ42,945.00 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
Beautiful floral notes intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice and charcoal jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2002. Opulent, broad, full-bodied and more mature than I expected given how this wine showed in its youth, this deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon is exceptional. However, in this vintage it has to take a back seat to a number of other cuvees. The final blend was 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.د.إ11,660.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Another perfect wine is the 2012 Screaming Eagle which checks in as 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. While just as good as the 2013, it’s made in a very different style and has a lush, opulent, sexy profile as well as the hallmark crème de cassis, white flowers, graphite and spice. With a silky, full-bodied, seamless texture, incredible complexity, ultra-fine tannin, and blockbuster length, this quintessential Screaming Eagle will continue drinking beautifully for 20-25 years.د.إ41,125.00 -
James Suckling (100)
The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now. Give it three or four years to come around, but this already sings.د.إ40,690.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Screaming Eagle soars out of the glass with vibrant notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries and fresh red and black currants plus wafts of licorice, candied violets, cedar chest and clove oil with a beguiling touch of sea spray. Medium-bodied with jaw-dropping elegance, the palate is finely textured and yet built like a brick house with a super taut backbone and exquisitely knit acidity. The intense black and red fruit flavors are accented by layers of mineral and floral notions, finishing with incredible length and depth. Undeniably stunning. “I loved it!” winemaker Nick Gislason told me when I asked him for his thoughts on the 2018 vintage. “Everything is just really perfumey with a lot of verve and a lot of freshness. It’s a wholesome vintage, if that makes sense? The canopies were big and healthy; there was a lot of life in the vineyard. After 2017, it felt like the bloom that comes afterward.” He went on to say, "We made a little 2017 red. Only four barrels of the Cab! Ten barrels of The Flight. Only from grapes that came in before the fires—mainly Merlot and a couple of blocks of Cabernet." Whereas Screaming Eagle is mainly sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the western side of the estate, there is one plot of old Merlot (1980s plantings) on the eastern side of the vineyard that continually makes the backbone of this Second Flight/The Flight. This is planted on very gravelly, well-drained soils. Gislason explained, “The Cabernet Sauvignon for The Flight is always about being fresh, light and perfumey, without the firmer tannins that Cabernet can sometimes give. There is a ‘fresh’ end of the property that this tends to come from. There is some other Merlot on the other side of the property that doesn’t have the acidity, perfume or brightness we’re looking for. We don’t use this in The Flight.”د.إ38,785.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, coming from a small section of estate vines closer to the Napa river. It is entirely fermented in French oak, but only about 5% is new. The grapes are pressed straight to barrels and kept on their gross lees. The wine is fermented using native yeasts. This vintage, the nose is not at all shy—it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of ripe peaches, passion fruit and musk perfume plus wafts of honeycomb, elderflower, ripe gooseberries and lemongrass with a waft of Bosc pears. The palate is super intense and yet ethereally weighted, light-bodied and oh-so-fine, elegant and refreshing, featuring a whole array of chalk and sea spray sparks, creating a shimmer to all the many citrus and stone fruit layers, finishing with great length and energy. There is a truly interesting phenolic texture to the palate that reminds me of some Chardonnays, particularly Burgundian examples. Winemaker Nick Gislason commented that the gross lees contain a lot of phenolic content, which is where the wine picks up that textural component. Love it!د.إ41,645.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2016 The Flight is gorgeous. Dark, brooding and closed in on itself, the 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best, but it is incredibly beguiling today. Plum, black cherry, lavender, blood orange menthol, and a host of more mineral-driven notes punctuate this super-expressive wine. This is a decidedly tannic and powerful edition of The Flight. I can't wait to see how it ages. Bottled just six weeks before this tasting, the 2016 appears to have a very bright future. Time in the glass brings out some of the softer edges that will almost surely emerge with cellaring. The Flight is built on a core of older Merlot vines from the southeast corner of the estate. It is an absolutely riveting wine from Screaming Eagle.د.إ10,260.00 -
James Suckling (100)
This is an incredible wine with such depth and energy and ethereal, mind-blowing sensibility. It sent shivers down my spine tasting it. It just shines on the nose, like bright sunlight breaking through a dark sky. Aromas of raspberries, citrus, violets and dark earth. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go vertical and endless, from top to bottom. A monument for merlot-based wines. Drinkable now, but needs six to eight years to come around.د.إ11,890.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.د.إ10,915.00
