The 2014 Screaming Eagle is an 880-case blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. The telltale sign of this iconic wine is its extraordinary purity of crème de cassis fruit, which is displayed abundantly in the 2014. This sexy, up-front, opaque ruby/purple-colored wine is seamlessly constructed, full-bodied, and has a long finish with silky tannins. This seems to float across that palate with that great fruit purity that is a characteristic of Screaming Eagle. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2041

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.