SCREAMING EAGLE 'The Flight' - Napa Valley, California 2020 Bottle

Description

Screaming Eagle is a legendary Californian "cult wine," founded by Jean Philips, who began her winemaking journey in 1992 after years of selling grapes to Napa Valley wineries. Initially producing wine in a plastic trash can, she took her sample to Robert Mondavi, who recognized its potential and encouraged her to bottle it, leading to the iconic name that would soon become a symbol of excellence.

Situated on a gently sloping, rocky vineyard with optimal drainage and sun exposure, the vineyard allows Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen perfectly while benefiting from cooling breezes from San Pablo Bay. Awarded 98 points by James Suckling, the 2020 vintage showcases aromas of blackberries and currants with green olives, delivering a medium-bodied and elegant profile. Vinous also scored it 94 points, noting its polished, aromatic expression and impressive complexity. With a blend of 64% Merlot and 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is poised for further development, requiring four to five years to fully open. Screaming Eagle continues to be a hallmark of richness and finesse, produced in limited quantities of just 500 cases per year.

*****

Screaming Eagle is one of the original Californian "cult wines". Proprietor Jean Philips never dreamt that her wine would be so sought after, when in 1992, after years of selling grapes to Napa Valley wineries, she decided to find out if her home-made wine, created in a plastic trash can, was any good. She took a sample down to Robert Mondavi where they thought enough of her dark, rich, cassis-flavoured Cabernet to encourage her to bottle it, though they snickered at her proposed name. The rest is history.

Screaming Eagle's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is ideally situated. The soil is virtually a rock pile on a gentle, west-facing slope east of the Napa River. Drainage and exposure are excellent. The property is at a point in the valley where the weather is hot enough during the day to ripen Cabernet to its optimum, yet the grapes are cooled by the afternoon breezes that blow north from San Pablo Bay.

Only 500 cases a year of Screaming Eagle are produced under the direction of winemaker Heidi Peterson Barret. The resulting wines are brimming with deep, plush layers of flavour, echoing currant, cassis, blackberries and black cherry. The tannins are soft, round and polished, yet firm enough to give every indication that Screaming Eagle wines will age beautifully for 10 to 20 years.

(new name for Second Flight from 2015)
JAMES SUCKLING ***** 98 points
Aromas of blackberries, red and black currants. Green olives, too. Dark roses and perfume. Medium-bodied with super crunchy energy and brightness. Very fine tannins. Elegant and precise. So subtle and complex, it’s really something. A blend of 64% merlot and 36% cabernet sauvignon. Needs four to five years to open and come together.

VINOUS 94 points
The 2020 The Flight is classy and polished from the very first taste. Aromatic and understated, the 2020 offers a distinct feeling of classicism in its mid-weight structure. Crushed flowers, herbs and spice lead into a core of red/purplish fruit. The 2020 is a seriously impressive wine. Readers should expect a more lifted, restrained style than is the norm. - Antonio Galloni