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Screaming Eagle is California's original and most sought after cult wine in the world. Produced in tiny quantities from a small vineyard in Napa's Oakville appellation, the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine regularly sells for upwards of $3000 plus a bottle and is America's most expensive regularly produced wine.
Jean Phillips established the vineyards in 1986, and set about selling fruit to local producers in Napa. After a few years, the decision was made to set up a winery, and the first vintage of Screaming Eagle was released in 1992. Robert Parker rated this first vintage at 99 points, and cult status was sealed – since then, the 1997 and 2007 vintages have achieved the coveted 100-point rating from the famous wine critic. Sales are done from the winery through a mailing list, which has been full since 2000 – and there is a waiting list several thousand names long.
Screaming Eagle's vineyard lies within the Oakville AVA in the southern part of Napa Valley. It is planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and a small plot of Sauvignon Blanc. Screaming Eagle's second wine, Second Flight, is made from the vineyard's younger vines, and a white wine, the Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc, was introduced in 2012. Although sold initially for $250 a bottle in 2012, this wine quickly reached astronomical prices on the secondary market as well, up to 10 times the release price.
In 2006, Screaming Eagle was famously sold to Stanley Kroenke and Charles Banks for an undisclosed sum, rumored to be upwards of $30 million. Nowadays Kroenke owns Screaming Eagle outright.
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
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Vintage | 2013 |
Rating | 96+ RP |
Bottle Size | 6 x 750 ml |
Bottle Quantity | 6 |
Country | USA |
Region | California |
Location | North Coast |
Producer | Screaming Eagle |
Color | Red |
Wine Type | Table |
Rating | 96+ RP - Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Second Flight simply sings of spiced blueberries, black forest cake and preserved plums with suggestions of star anise, baker's chocolate, fertile loam and dried Provence herbs with a hint of lavender. Big, concentrated, full-bodied and packed to the gills with black fruits, exotic spice and floral layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length and loads of layers. Still very taut, it needs at least another 2-3 years in bottle. Interestingly, this full-on hedonistic vintage has one of the largest Merlot contributions ever for this wine: 65% Merlot with 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Cabernet Franc. Under the ownership of Stan Kroenke, this vineyard has been replanted and a new cellar has been constructed. The production of Screaming Eagle has remained between 700-1,000 cases, and a second wine, the Second Flight, includes 520-800 cases. The introduction of a second wine is an attempt to keep Screaming Eagle at its mythical level of quality. This vineyard, situated on the valley floor at the Oakville Crossroads across the road from the Rudd Estate, encompasses 60 acres, but only a small percentage is used for these two cuvees. Based on the three vintages I tasted, it appears the Second Flight wines include much less Cabernet Sauvignon and more Merlot than the flagship Screaming Eagle. |
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Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
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Vintage | 2013 |
Rating | 96+ RP |
Bottle Size | 6 x 750 ml |
Bottle Quantity | 6 |
Country | USA |
Region | California |
Location | North Coast |
Producer | Screaming Eagle |
Color | Red |
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