Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Screaming Eagle

Tasting Note Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Aromas of crushed black raspberries and red currants sit alongside the darker fruit, followed by hints of cigar box and chocolate. The color is a very deep purple-tinged black. On the palate, the fruit flavors are concentrated yet not heavy; the tannins are smooth rather than stiff, and the acidity provides a solid backbone to the mid-palate. The concentrated flavors lead into a lingering finish. The 2015 vintage is already enjoyable to drink, but judging by its structure, it does not yet show its full quality.

Grape Varieties

The 2015 Screaming Eagle is composed of three grape varieties:

• Cabernet Sauvignon, 76%: Provides the wine's backbone and blackcurrant aromas
• Merlot, 20%: Softens the mid-palate and rounds out Cabernet's sharp edges
• Cabernet Franc, 4%: Added in small quantities to highlight the aromas

Since Cabernet ripens fully in Oakville, the Merlot from this region serves to refine the texture rather than compensate for green notes.

Cellaring Potential

Best enjoyed by 2048. The wine's balance is achieved not by sheer weight, but by the refreshing interplay of delicate tannins and minerals. Decant for about an hour and serve at 16-18°C. Store in a cool, dark place. 

About Screaming Eagle

No tours, no tastings, no visitor center. Screaming Eagle in Oakville is candid about why: the facilities cannot handle visitors, and so little wine is made that there is no surplus to pour. Buying happens through a waiting list, and a place opens only when an existing member stops purchasing. Jean Phillips bought the land in 1986, sold the fruit to other Napa wineries at first, then replanted the whole vineyard to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 1995. Stan Kroenke has been sole owner since 2009. Nick Gislason has made the wine since around 2011, David Abreu's team farms the vines, and Michel Rolland's Pomerol-based firm consults. Best known is the Cabernet Sauvignon that started it all in 1992, alongside the Merlot-dominant The Flight and, since 2012, a Sauvignon Blanc.

Terroir & Climate

Located in the central part of the valley, Oakville has higher temperatures than Yountville to the south, and it is precisely thanks to that extra heat that the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes here can ripen fully without developing the green pepper notes typically associated with underripe grapes. Screaming Eagle's parcels lie on a rocky hillside, and the growth of the vines is properly regulated thanks to the loose, gravelly, and well-drained soil typical of the Napa Valley region. Coastal fog reaches this area later in the morning. This results in concentrated grapes that have undergone a long, uniform ripening process.

Winemaking

Harvesting takes place in a series of small-scale pickings across the vineyard, sometimes spanning more than a month, with each plot harvested when it reaches its optimal ripeness. Fermentation takes place in a combination of stainless steel tanks, concrete tanks, and used oak barrels to ensure that the oak aroma does not become overly pronounced. The wine is then aged in oak barrels for 18 to 24 months prior to bottling and is neither fined nor filtered. Thanks to this choice, the wine acquires a deep texture, and sediment may appear over time.

Food Pairing

Its firm tannins call for dishes that can harmonize with rich, protein-based flavors. Recommended pairings:

• Dry-aged ribeye, charcoal-grilled, seasoned only with salt
• Rack of lamb with rosemary
• Slow-roasted short ribs, where the collagen softens the tannins
• Aged Cheddar, where the umami cuts across the wine's structure

Roasted Portobello mushrooms also pair well, as their roasted notes complement the wine's dark fruit.