- BrandScreaming Eagle
- RegionNapa Valley
- TypeRed Wine
- Size1.5 Liter
- SKU 210000048180
Highlights
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 1.5 Liter Magnum
Screaming Eagle's vineyard lies within the Oakville AVA in the central part of Napa Valley. The unmarked vineyard lies on the eastern side of the AVA, below the vineyards of Dalla Valle and Oakville Ranch in the foothills further east, and just north of Paraduxx in Yountville.
As is typical for the AVA, the vineyard is planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and a small plot of Sauvignon Blanc. Screaming Eagle's second wine, Second Flight, is made from the vineyard's younger vines, and a white wine, the Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc, was introduced in 2012.
Critical Acclaim
97 Wine Advocate
Aged 20 months in 72% new French oak, this blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc comes from a great vineyard on the valley floor in Oakville, just south of Rudd Estate and Plumpjack. The wine’s dense ruby/purple color is followed by a beautiful, Pauillac-like (think Pontet Canet or Mouton), ethereal perfume of creme de cassis, or as Michael Broadbent used to say, “celestial black currants,” full body, a velvety texture, fine tannins, a multidimensional mouthfeel, and a terrific finish. While there were no real surprises tasting this wine, I was somewhat intrigued by just how youthful the 2004 Screaming Eagle is showing. I had expected it to reveal slightly more evolution. I thought the 13% Merlot in the blend would push the evolution more quickly. The finish lasts for a full minute. As it has been in just about every vintage, the 2004 is a profound wine. It is for others to decide if it is overpriced, but this is undeniably a great wine that competes on the world stage with the best that exist.
94 Vinous
Good deep ruby-red. Deeper, sweeter aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, mocha, smoke and minerals. Rich and suave in the mouth; fuller and considerably smoother than the 2003. This boasts lovely sweetness and superb refinement, as well as more stuffing to support its nutty oak than the leaner 2003 possesses. There's nothing astringent about this. The blend includes just 6% Merlot and 2% Cab Franc.
94 Wine Spectator
Impeccably balanced, intense and complex, with a mix of savory currant, loamy earth and firmly structured tannins. Tightens up on the finish, where the tannins clamp down, yet the finish is long and persistent.