Written by: Pierre Jerome’
At the Napa
Valley Auction in
2000, there was
an imperial 6-liter bottle
of 1992 Screaming
Eagle Cabernet which
was able to attract an
unbelievable bid of
$500,000 which made
it the most expensive
wine in the world. Given
the exorbitant price
tag that a bidder was
willing to pay, you’d
believe that’s what
makes this particular
cabernet so special
but you’d be wrong.
There’s so much history
and culture behind the
blend that can’t simply
be overlooked.
Generally, when wines
attract bids as high as
1992 Screaming Eagle
Cabernet, they are
extremely rare and old
bottles made by some
European brand. But
that wasn’t the case with
Screaming Eagle – the
exact reason why the
bidder was willing to shell
out half a million dollars
for a few liters of a barely
decade old wine. He
wasn’t just paying for the
quality but the category
and its label.
Established in 1986 by
a former real estate
professional who went by
the name of Jean Phillips,
Screaming Eagle is all
about low-production
and highly exclusive
Napa winemaking that
people with taste crave
for. There is a reason why
there’s a long waiting list
that sometimes spans
over years – not weeks or
months – years!
It’s not just this particular
wine that fetches high
price in the market.
Screaming Eagle makes
the most expensive wines
in the United States of
America. For instance,
the label’s Sauvignon
Blanc has an average
price that’s close to
$6,000. Their extreme
and meticulous attention
towards every aspect of
winemaking has turned
the label into one of
the most desirable wine
brand in the country and
globally.
The distinct wine contains
rich oaky, spicy, and
black fruit notes including
vanilla, chocolate,
blackberry, cassis, licorice,
pepper and mint. Some
wine lovers have also
referred to earthy notes
like smoke and leather
while red fruit also gets
mentioned, especially
cherry and strawberry.
Clearly, there’s immense
depth and diversity to the
flavor of this cabernet
which is impossible to
encapsulate by simply
mentioning the number
and types of notes.
The overall taste is
believed to be on the
bold and tannic side
which means the wine
doesn’t rely on the subtlety
of light and smooth but
attempts to go for a strong
impact on your palate.
Its unique and prevalent
dry acidity makes it a
perfect companion for
dinners featuring proteins
like lamb, beef, or venison.
This is a wine created for
special occasion dinners
that are few and far
between.
If you are hoping to host
an unforgettable event
or want to impress wine
lovers, you can’t go wrong
with 1992 Screaming
Eagle Cabernet. It’s made
and packed to have that
wow factor you are always
yearning for.
July 2020
Polo De’Marco