2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The 2013 Screaming Eagle flagship wine is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. As one might expect, the purity of the cassis, which is always a hallmark of this estate and wine, is well-displayed in this beauty. Dense purple in color, it offers up some floral notes intermixed with damp earth, blackcurrant jam, blackberry and hints of licorice and incense. This reminds me somewhat of the 2010 Screaming Eagle. Full-bodied, rich, but perfectly balanced, it’s another terrific example of this iconic estate. It should drink well for 30 or more years.

The 2013 Screaming Eagle remains a very young wine. Dark, brooding and quite potent, the 2013 possesses tremendous depth backed by equally serious tannins. Blackberry, graphite, lavender, mocha and dried herbs are some of the many nuances that gradually open in the glass. In most years, Screaming Eagle has a Lafite-like purity of fruit. The 2013 has plenty of that, but the tannin profile and somber feel remind me more of wines like Montrose or an imposing vintage of Mouton, like the 1986. Readers lucky enough to own the 2013 are in for a real treat, but I would not think of touching a bottle anytime soon, as it remains an infant. Two recent bottles were nothing short of spectacular.