Rockwood & Perry
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1998

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1998
"The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was bottled in late June, has turned out even better than I thought last year. It boasts a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to an expressive bouquet of cassis, minerals, and smoke. This multi-textured, round wine exhibits sweet, well-integrated tannin, a great mid-palate and finish, as well as spectacular purity and palate presence. Consume it now and over the next 15-20 years.
There are 500 cases of this wine. As most readers know, this wine has become the ultimate collector's Cabernet Sauvignon, routinely fetching $800 to as much as $2000 a bottle at wine auctions. Of course, this makes no sense to me or Screaming Eagle's owner, the amiable Jean Phillips, who sells the wine for $125 a bottle. Unquestionably an exquisite wine, it offers remarkably rich creme de cassis aromas and flavors in an unmanipulated, compelling fashion. The winemaking is assisted by well-known consultant Heidi Barrett. From the red, iron-rich soils of the Oakville District, the wine is aged in 65% new French oak for 18-20 months." Robert Parker 94, December 2000