“The estate’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with considerable richness and pure depth. The spring frosts lowered yields noticeably resulting in a wine that is a bit darker and heavier than is the norm. The rest of the vintage was on the warmer side, which gave the wine much of its ripeness and body. Mocha, espresso, licorice, and sweet spices all wrap around the palate. Next to the other wines in this tasting, the 2008 is a bit burly. The mind-bending finesse of the best vintages is missing. Certainly 2007 and 2008 are the best back to back vintages at Screaming Eagle since 2002 and 2001. Like the 2007, the 2008 should drink well for at least 20-25 years based on the fact that the 1992, the debut release (which I just had), at age 18 is still an adolescent. Kudos to the winemaking team led by Andy Erickson who is backed up by the blue chip viticulturist David Abreu and the omnipresent Michel Rolland." -Robert Parker. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028. 

Screaming Eagle’s 57-acre vineyard in eastern Oakville has 40-acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a few rows of Sauvignon Blanc with Nick Gislason overseeing winemaking, Michel Rolland consulting and David Abreu farming this grand cru estate. We’ve been able to enjoy many of their vintages and the one resounding parallel to all the wines is that they need bottle age. The wines upon release are very good but with 15-20 years in bottle, they gain more complexity than any Napa Cabernet I’ve tasted before.