Screaming Eagle 2017 was bottled entirely in magnum, and this is one in its original wooden case. The October 2017 wildfires meant only lots picked before the fires were used, so the release is small and unusual.
About This Wine
After the October 2017 Napa fires, Screaming Eagle kept only the lots harvested before the fires for both the flagship and The Flight, and with less Cabernet to work with, The Flight took more Merlot than usual. The result, in Antonio Galloni's words, is a bright, tightly wound Screaming Eagle with a savoury, mineral and rather old-school character. He scored it 96 and suggested it could turn out even better with time, and James Suckling, at 99, put production at 600 magnums. With every bottle in magnum, it should age at a slow, steady pace.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Red and black currant with sage, crushed stone, violets and cedar.
- Palate: Medium to full-bodied, taut and bright, with savoury dark fruit and firm, fine tannins.
- Finish: Long and mineral, with herbs, spice and a cool, lifted close.
Serving & Food
Decant for two hours and serve at 17°C in large glasses. This is a wine to revisit over many years rather than rush. Pair with herb-crusted lamb, beef carpaccio with rocket and Parmesan, or grilled porcini.
How to Enjoy
An unusual, magnum-only Screaming Eagle from a vintage shaped by the Napa fires.
Product Details
Producer: Screaming Eagle
Country: USA
Region: Oakville, Napa Valley, California
Vintage: 2017
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon-led red
Volume: 1.5L magnum
Packaging: Original wooden case
About the Winery
Precision in the cellar is what sets the modern Screaming Eagle apart. The winery holds around 50 small fermentation tanks, so that each block of the single Oakville vineyard can be picked only when it is ready and kept separate.
In a typical year Nick Gislason and his team have more than 120 lots to taste before deciding the blends for the flagship and The Flight. Some Cabernet sections give fresh, perfumed wine suited to The Flight, while others have the density and tannin for the flagship. That lot-by-lot approach proved vital in 2017, when the team could simply keep the pre-fire lots and set the rest aside.
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