Screaming Eagle   Screaming Eagle

1993 Screaming Eagle

By Screaming Eagle

1993 Screaming Eagle from Screaming Eagle, Napa Valley

If there was ever a standard bearer for delectable, youthful and vivacious Cabernet Sauvignons, the 1993 Screaming Eagle from Screaming Eagle stands tall in that echelon. This vintage uniquely punctuates the essence of Napa Valley prowess, where terroir and tactical vinification harmoniously interthread.

 

A Symphony of Tastes

The 1993 Screaming Eagle from Screaming Eagle takes sustenance from Napa Valley’s distinctive alluvial soils, contributing a certain litheness to its powerhouse attributes. If one could condense the sun's vibrancy into a bottle, the result might parallel this dewy-eyed Californian. It is a testament to American viticulture—and well worthy of attention by serious wine investors looking to diversify their portfolios with great fine wines from USA.

This vintage created a sort of anticipatory hush upon its release - an emblem of incredible elegance paired with bold vitality. With ruby undertones and striking clarity, it is an aesthetic delight in a glass.

 

This is What Cabernet Dreams Taste Like

1993 Screaming Eagle is emblematic of layered complexity and unparalleled poise. The palate is sumptuously girdled in blackcurrant, huckleberry compote and exotic spices, interweaving with nuanced whispers of other dark fruits on the prolonged finish. Just as the puzzle pieces of 1993's ideal weather conditions marvellously fell into place, so does every unforgettable sip from this vintage.

Crucially, essential for any investor in fine wines, not only does this cabernet sauvignon remain relevant: it has served as a springboard to place Screaming Eagle into the annals of American wine legends. In essence, the 1993 Screaming Eagle from Screaming Eagle is a masterstroke of American winemaking—with every precept of elegance, complexity and power, creating wine harmony.

 

A Barometer of Excellence

At a time when wine halls in the United States were still finding their feet, the 1993 Screaming Eagle made an audacious stylistic statement that silently flipped the switch on the new age of American wine production. Its existence not only trails a path of American wine excellence but also serves as an assertive metaphor for artistry and perfection—the cornerstone of a wine investment.

The eminence of the 1993 Screaming Eagle from Screaming Eagle is beyond question: a deliciously poised investment liquid asset and testament to early '90s California winemaking brilliance.

Market price (HKD)

HK$331,220.00

12x75cl

Highest score

97

POP score

2038.24

Scores and tasting notes

97

The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is a remarkable wine, not dissimilar from the 1992. The 1993 reveals an opaque purple color, as well as a rich, jammy, pure nose of blackcurrant/cassis fruit intertwined with scents of minerals and high quality, spicy oak. The wine offers a cascade of lavishly rich, opulently textured, super-extracted fruit that is beautifully buttressed by oak and sweet tannin. Remarkably long, pure, and rich, this is a compelling Cabernet Sauvignon with no hard edges. Perfectly balanced, marvelously concentrated, and exciting, look for this wine to drink well young, but keep for 25 years. As exciting as these wines are, as a critic, my emotions are mixed because of the extremely limited quantities available. My advice - get on the winery's mailing list as quantities will be more abundant starting in 1996. This microscopic winery located near the Oakville Crossroads, just below Dalla Valle, created quite a stir among the handful of Cabernet lovers who were able to latch onto a bottle when proprietor Jean Phillips released her debut wine - the 1992. The wine is sold exclusively via a mailing list. On the few occasions I have been fortunate enough to taste it, the 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon has been inching toward a three-digit score. It is unquestionably one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted. From a quantitative perspective, the news on future availability is depressing. Because of phylloxera, there are only 135 cases of the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon (a worthy candidate for wine of the vintage), 175 cases of the 1994, and a whopping 225 cases of the 1995. However, with new plantings coming into production, the outlook will improve; 500 cases of the 1996 will be made. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, this wine is made by winemaker/consultant Heidi Barrett. Before his death, Gustav Dalla Valle also provided considerable input. Tel. (707) 944-0749

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 19 December 1996

Vintage performance