2015 marks the inaugural vintage of Screaming Eagle ‘The Flight’ Red. I tasted this new release last spring and again these past few months with the wine team. Here is something very important to remember- ‘The Flight’ is comprised entirely of estate fruit from Screaming Eagle’s east Oakville vineyard with approximately 40-acres planted. “Very deep purple-black, the 2015 The Flight (a blend of 61% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon) opens with electric notes of black and blue fruit sparks—wild blueberries, fresh blackberries and crushed black plums—with nuances of lavender, violets, pencil shavings, tilled soil, yeast extract and a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, it hits the palate with tons of energy and freshness supported by firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with fragrant earth layers.” – Wine Advocate.

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 12-15 years in bottle, they gain more complexity than any Napa Cabernet I’ve tasted before.