2012 Screaming Eagle, The Flight, Oakville, Case of 6 btls

JS97 "This is very structured with ripe and silky tannins that shows a dense and compacted fruit character. It's full and racy. Impressive tone and form." JS Jul 2015

RP96 "Composed of 43% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc and with a very deep garnet-purple color, the 2012 Second Flight has an enticingly savory nose with notes of smoked meats, yeast extract, tapenade and truffles over a core of crème de cassis and plum preserves plus a touch of Indian spices. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated in the mouth, it has firm, velvety tannins and plenty of background freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and spicy." LPB for TWA Apr 2018

Robert Parker writes, "It would be easy to criticize Screaming Eagle, the tiny boutique producer, with astronomical prices as well as quality. The vineyard, on the valley floor in the eastern Oakville corridor, sells off significant quantities of wine to others. Their production remains 700 to 1,000 cases, along with 500-800 cases of their second wine, Second Flight. There is something magical about this Oakville parcel on the valley floor just under the looming hillsides of such wineries as Phelps, Bacchus and Dalla Valle’s Maya, and across the street from the Rudd Estate, Plumpjack, etc. Different winemaking consultants, from Heidi Barrett, who was in charge when Screaming Eagle soared to prominence in the early nineties, to the present consultant, Michel Rolland, have maintained the remarkable consistency that makes this wine so special. Articulating that is the critic’s challenge, but there is a purity to the crème de cassis fruit that emerges from this vineyard. There is an aromatic intensity and penetration that is truly world-class, and there is incredible balance as well as complexity in these young wines." Published: Oct 30, 2014