Tasting Notes
Vinous 97
The 2014 Screaming Eagle looks like it is going to need a good few years at a minimum to really show its true colors. Although Screaming Eagle can be quite seductive in its youth, there is little of that in 2014. Virile and imposing, the 2014 possesses tremendous depth and equally formidable tannins. Graphite, gravel, smoke and herb notes give the 2014 its persistent, mineral/savory-infused profile. Screaming Eagle is less affected by its recent bottling than Second Flight. Still, I would not plan on opening a bottle anytime soon.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2039
Robert Parker 97
The 2014 Screaming Eagle is an 880-case blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. The telltale sign of this iconic wine is its extraordinary purity of creme de cassis fruit, which is displayed abundantly in the 2014. It doesn’t quite have the structure and mass of the 2013, but this sexy, up-front, opaque ruby/purple-colored wine is seamlessly constructed, full-bodied, and has a long finish with silky tannins. This seems to float across that palate with that great fruit purity that is a characteristic of Screaming Eagle. Drink it over the next 25+ years.
Anticipated maturity: 2016-2041