Screaming Eagle Winery | winetogousa

Screaming Eagle is a reclusive and private boutique winery in Napa Valley's Oakville AVA and just off the Silverado Trail near the junction with Oakville Crossroad. In the 1990s it became the darling of those conspicuous consumers addicted by its allure and the status of owning and drinking a Screaming Eagle. The winery began inauspiciously from a winemaking experiment by a real estate broker. It was made in a rubber garbage can, tasted and endorsed by Mondavi staff, and named Screaming Eagle out of the unfettered audacity to make the best wine possible.

Jean Philips, together with Tony Bowden, founded the winery in 1986 when they acquired a plot of land with less than 60 acres planted in vineyards, predominantly in white varietals. Over time, they pulled these out and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, a small amount of Merlot, and Cabernet Franc for a Bordelaise blend. In the beginning, they sold all grapes to other wineries around Napa Valley. Philips began experimenting with making wine on the side. She solicited winemaking advice from veteran scientist-winemaker Richard Peterson and his daughter, Heidi Peterson Barrett. In 1992, Philips held back one acre of grapes for the first vintage and the cult of Screaming Eagle began.

Year in and year out, a Screaming Eagle scores high by Robert Parker, even hitting the 100-point rating on occasions ('92 and '97), and rates from the mid-to-high 90s in Wine Spectator. Typically, the winery produces around 500 cases made from grapes from the Screaming Eagle section of the vineyard. It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with minor amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Screaming Eagle ages the wine in American and French oak. In general, Screaming Eagle wines are known as dramatic and plush with concentrated berry-cherry-cassis fruit, complex and layered with floral, spice, and oak flavors. One can expect a rich and intense wine with a deep but well-balanced structure that exhibits elegance and refinement from start to its lingering finish.