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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 |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2009 |
| Rating | 93 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Screaming Eagle |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Rating | 93 RP - A beautiful expression of the year, the 2009 Second Flight emerges from the glass with intense layers of fruit in a style that very much recalls Screaming Eagle. Today, the 2009 comes across as a bit more structured and tannic than previous efforts. Some of that may be the vintage, but I imagine the addition of 9% Cabernet Franc over Merlot to the blend is also a contributing factor. Either way, the 2009 is a striking Second Flight endowed with serious depth, purity and finesse. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers and sweet spices are some of the many nuances that are woven together in this appealing, totally delicious wine. The 2009 is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. I have had a number of fabulous tastings at Screaming Eagle, but this was one of the most memorable. The biggest news at Screaming Eagle is the release of a second wine, a project that has been in the works for a number of years. Owner Stan Kroenke and his team wanted to make sure their new wine was up to the estate's standards, and have only released the first vintages over the last few months. I tasted all four vintages of Screaming Eagle's second label, Second Flight, next to Screaming Eagle itself, which allowed for a fascinating set of comparisons of both wines across a number of vintages. Like its big brother, Second Flight is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, but here the Merlot plays a much more significant role. Regardless, what comes through most is the signature of these sites as seen through the lenses of the respective vintages. Readers might also enjoy taking a look at a recent video I shot with Winemaker Nic Gislason during the 2012 harvest that we recently posted on our site. RP |
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| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2009 |
| Rating | 93 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Screaming Eagle |
| Color | Red |
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