2011 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Screaming Eagle sits at the apex of Napa Valley — the estate Jean Phillips founded in 1986 that redefined American Cabernet. From its replanted Oakville vineyards on well-drained, rocky soils and sun-drenched west-facing slopes cooled by San Pablo Bay breezes, the winery has earned six 100-point scores from Robert Parker across the 1997, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016 vintages. It remains one of the most compelling estates in the valley, now owned by Stanley Kroenke and guided by winemaker Nic Gislason.

The flagship Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Oakville AVA, where only the finest clusters are hand-selected, gently crushed, and fermented in small oak barrels before aging 18 to 20 months in French oak. The 2011 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc — a vintage Robert Parker called "sexy, upfront, and precociously styled," while James Suckling awarded 99 points and asked if it might be "the wine of the vintage."

In the glass, the 2011 opens with dense licorice, camphor, black currant jam, spearmint, cloves, and blackberries, layered with espresso, toasted oak, caramel, dark chocolate, cedar, and sweet tobacco. The palate is full-bodied with phenomenal detail — delicate yet intense, rich yet balanced, showing the early-drinking charm Parker noted alongside the finesse and energy Suckling praised. The tannins are firm but polished, the finish long and seductive.

This is a wine built to age gracefully for decades, its vibrant fruit evolving into tobacco, cedar, and leather as it matures. Pull the cork now to experience its immediate appeal, or cellar it through the 2030s and beyond — the 2011 rewards both paths.