Screaming Eagle
The defining Napa Cabernet cult wine. ~600 cases produced annually; allocated almost entirely to the mailing list. Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from a 57-acre property in Oakville.
About Screaming
Screaming Eagle is the defining American “cult Cabernet” — a tiny (57-acre vineyard, ~600 cases annually) Napa Valley estate whose wines became the focal point of 1990s and 2000s American collector wine demand. The first commercial vintage was 1992, made by Heidi Peterson Barrett. The wines achieved 100-point scores from Robert Parker in multiple vintages, and the auction prices climbed accordingly — a 1992 6L Imperial sold for $500,000 at Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000. The estate was sold to Stan Kroenke (NFL owner) in 2006; current winemaker is Nick Gislason. Stylistically the wines are extremely concentrated, dense, ripe-fruited Napa Cabernet — closer to Harlan and Bond than to Bordeaux. Allocation is essentially closed to new customers; bottles trade primarily through auction and secondary market at significant premiums to release price.
Flagship wines
- Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon (grand vin)
- Second Flight (second wine, since 2011)
- Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc
Editorial notes
Screaming Eagle is editorially significant as the canonical “cult Napa Cabernet” but its inaccessibility (allocation closed, secondary market 3-10x release price) makes it less practically relevant for actual drinkers. Cellaring potential 15-25 years from strong vintages.