Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Screaming Eagle soars out of the glass with vibrant notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries and fresh red and black currants plus wafts of licorice, candied violets, cedar chest and clove oil with a beguiling touch of sea spray. Medium-bodied with jaw-dropping elegance, the palate is finely textured and yet built like a brick house with a super taut backbone and exquisitely knit acidity. The intense black and red fruit flavors are accented by layers of mineral and floral notions, finishing with incredible length and depth. Undeniably stunning.

“I loved it!” winemaker Nick Gislason told me when I asked him for his thoughts on the 2018 vintage. “Everything is just really perfumey with a lot of verve and a lot of freshness. It’s a wholesome vintage, if that makes sense? The canopies were big and healthy; there was a lot of life in the vineyard. After 2017, it felt like the bloom that comes afterward.”

He went on to say, "We made a little 2017 red. Only four barrels of the Cab! Ten barrels of The Flight. Only from grapes that came in before the fires—mainly Merlot and a couple of blocks of Cabernet."

Whereas Screaming Eagle is mainly sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the western side of the estate, there is one plot of old Merlot (1980s plantings) on the eastern side of the vineyard that continually makes the backbone of this Second Flight/The Flight. This is planted on very gravelly, well-drained soils. Gislason explained, “The Cabernet Sauvignon for The Flight is always about being fresh, light and perfumey, without the firmer tannins that Cabernet can sometimes give. There is a ‘fresh’ end of the property that this tends to come from. There is some other Merlot on the other side of the property that doesn’t have the acidity, perfume or brightness we’re looking for. We don’t use this in The Flight.”

Drinking Window: 2025 - 2065

Reviewer Name: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Review Date: 1st November 2020

The aromas in this wine reflect wonderfully ripe cabernet, when the fruit tastes of near-perfect ripeness, Currants and flowers, such as roses, together with green strawberries and black licorice. Full-bodied with fine-velvet tannins and an ultra-long finish. Layered and beautiful. Finely tailored. Drink after 2027, but so gorgeous now.

Review Date: 28th March 2022

The 2018 Screaming Eagle is fabulous. Cabernet Sauvignon is so expressive today. Crème de cassis, lavender and spice open first, followed by sage, lavender, rose petal and a whole range of more floral and savory notes that convey freshness as well as energy. A wine of total class and sophistication, the 2018 is a knock-out from the very first taste. There is an exoticism that I find especially alluring.

Drinking Window: 2026 - 2043

Reviewer Name: Antonio Galloni

Review Date: 1st January 2021

The flagship 2018 Screaming Eagle shows a more medium to full-bodied, elegant style with plenty of underlying structure. Perfumed blue fruit, rose petal, wild strawberry, and graphite notes all define the bouquet, and it shows the pure, focused, structured side of the vintage nicely. All about class and elegance, this balanced beauty needs to be forgotten for at least 4-5 years and should evolve for 2-3 decades.

Drinking Window: 2025 - 2056

Review Date: 27th January 2021