2016 Screaming Eagle Vertical (1992-2004)

Wow – this is a baby and has some creamy notes on the nose. There is such minerality here, and beside that graphite and pepper with tequila. This clearly has oak that needs to integrate. The palate has wonderful tension, and the oak is still present but behind it you can see that all the elements are in check. The acidity is perfectly judged and balances the mineral-laden fruit core. Long, young and very expressive indeed. (AC)

The 2016 Screaming Eagle is, as usual, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with bright, exuberant blackberries, kirsch and warm blackcurrants scents plus touches of lavender, roses, tilled black loam, wild sage and dark chocolate with wafts of yeast extract, underbrush and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, firm and fine grained, with amazing freshness, it is layered with crunchy black and red fruits, sparked by floral and mineral notions and finishing with epic length and depth.

The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now. Give it three or four years to come around, but this already sings.