x
  • Country ranking ?

    207
  • Producer ranking ?

    24
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Game

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Nick Gislason, winemaker at Screaming Eagle: "This spring was one of the driest on record, and so vines pushed buds early. Then, a prolonged series of frosty nights kept us working hard in the vineyard to protect the young shoots from the cold. This was followed by a hot and dry spring that led to a lighter crop-load than usual with small, intensely flavoured berries that ripened relatively early. A warm and moderate summer naturally down-regulated the vigour of the vines, so that they could focus efforts on fruit maturation. This meant that a smaller but very intensely flavoured crop was picked mostly in the latter two weeks of September. For us, the 2008 Screaming Eagle would be considered a very characteristic vintage, having all of the freshness, floral and perfume elements, as well as finesse, that is classic for this estate. The 2008 vintage, although showing quite beautifully already, is likely to develop some nice nuances over the next 15-20 years as well.”

 

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The Story

“First and foremost, I will be perpetuating the fresh, delicate style of wine that has been the Screaming Eagle hallmark since 1992. Across two winemakers before me (Heidi and Andy), that style has stayed remarkably consistent, which is part of the uniqueness of this ranch. The character of the vineyard really asserts itself. What will be new is the discovery of the young vine plots, and the ways that we can farm them individually to get the best site expression possible. It is a winemaker’s dream to be able to truly understand and manage a vineyard acre by acre and spend an enormous amount of time out there with the vines,” Nick Gislason, Winemaker. 

 

One would not say that Screaming Eagle offers value versus price, but like Romanee-Conti it exists in another league. There is so little produced, with most of the production remaining in the US to be consumed domestically, that the global market clammers for whatever it can secure. Screaming Eagle is spectacular wine, a massive, fruit forward beast, with incredible dark fruits and power: it is a wonderful, special and breath-taking wine to drink.

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Wine Information

2008 Napa vintage comments from the wine producers

Nick Gislason, winemaker at Screaming Eagle:
“This spring was one of the driest on record, and so vines pushed buds early. Then, a prolonged series of frosty nights kept us working hard in the vineyard to protect the young shoots from the cold. This was followed by a hot and dry spring that led to a lighter crop-load than usual with small, intensely flavoured berries that ripened relatively early. A warm and moderate summer naturally down-regulated the vigour of the vines, so that they could focus efforts on fruit maturation. This meant that a smaller but very intensely flavoured crop was picked mostly in the latter two weeks of September. For us, the 2008 Screaming Eagle would be considered a very characteristic vintage, having all of the freshness, floral and perfume elements, as well as finesse, that is classic for this estate. The 2008 vintage, although showing quite beautifully already, is likely to develop some nice nuances over the next 15-20 years as well.”

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Tasting note

color

Ruby red

ending

Long and Spicy

flavors

Blackcurrant, Blackberry, Blueberry, Voluptuous, Toasty and Smoky

nose

Open

taste

Medium-bodied and Ripe

Written Notes

(a blend of 88% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot and 4% cabernet franc): Dark ruby-red. Aromas of crushed blackberry, liquid stone, licorice pastille, violet and graphite. Wonderfully sappy and energetic, with berry, licorice and stone flavors dominating. This extremely suave, sweet cabernet boasts terrific intensity and precision. Finishes with lush tannins and outstanding persistence. Screaming Eagle will eventually include 10% to 12% cabernet franc, noted winemaker Andy Erickson. Both this vintage and the young 2009 have pHs around 3.7. This wine was a bit disorganized when I tasted it from barrel a year ago but it has turned out splendidly.

  • 96p

Love this vintage of Screaming Eagle which is delicate and fine with great finesse. Quite different from the 2007 which is more generous and opulent, the 2008 offers restraint and greater purity and precision in expressing its flavors. This is a layered, detailed Screaming Eagle that is one of the best wines from this decade. The freshness and ripe, firm tannins suggest the wine has a long life ahead - it will age well for a few decades.

  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Oakville, Napa Valley

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Good

Fake factory

None

Glass time

2h

Inside Information

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "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. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028. (AG) "(12/2012)

96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Dark ruby-red. Aromas of crushed blackberry, liquid stone, licorice pastille, violet and graphite. Wonderfully sappy and energetic, with berry, licorice and stone flavors dominating. This extremely suave, sweet cabernet boasts terrific intensity and precision. Finishes with lush tannins and outstanding persistence. Screaming Eagle will eventually include 10% to 12% cabernet franc, noted winemaker Andy Erickson. Both this vintage and the young 2009 have pHs around 3.7. This wine was a bit disorganized when I tasted it from barrel a year ago but it has turned out splendidly." (06/2011)

94 points Wine Spectator: "Offers pure, ripe, perfumed aromas, à la Margaux, with tasty plum, blackberry, cherry and spice in an elegant, understated style. Impressive for its delicacy, finesse, detail and persistence." (11/2011)

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