Screaming Eagle 2014 750mL

Screaming Eagle 2014 in the standard bottle: the Oakville estate's Cabernet-led flagship, scored 97 to 99 points by the major critics.

About This Wine

The 2014 is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and Parker put production at 880 cases. Reviewers split on its personality: Parker and Jeb Dunnuck found it seductive, with the estate's pure crème de cassis fruit, white chocolate, spice and graphite, while Antonio Galloni saw a firmer, more imposing wine with gravel, smoke and herbs that needed years in bottle. Parker, Galloni and Dunnuck each gave it 97 points, and James Suckling 99. A decade on, it should be settling between those two views.

Tasting Profile

• Nose: Crème de cassis, black cherry and violet with graphite, tobacco and a wisp of smoke.
• Palate: Full-bodied and polished, with pure dark fruit over fine, building tannins.
• Finish: Silky and lasting, with dark minerals, spice and lingering cassis.

Serving & Food

Decant for an hour or more and serve at 16 to 18°C in a Bordeaux glass; the wine gains perfume as it breathes. Drink now or keep for another 15 years. Pair with grilled lamb cutlets, a peppered fillet steak or duck breast with plum sauce.

How to Enjoy

A flagship Napa Cabernet for a special occasion or a long-term cellar.

Product Details

About the Winery

The estate makes three wines. The flagship, simply called Screaming Eagle, is always built around Cabernet Sauvignon, close to 80 percent in most years, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc making up the rest.

The Flight is the second red, a Merlot-led blend with a smaller share of Cabernet, made in a softer, perfumed style. The third is a Sauvignon Blanc, first made in 2012 from a small plot on the estate and produced in tiny amounts. All three are sold mainly to a long-standing mailing list. Critics tend to describe the house style as one of elegance and purity rather than sheer size.