Screaming Eagle : Second Flight 2021

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Screaming Eagle Second Flight 2021

Tasting

Colour

This wine displays a deep purple-ruby colour, almost opaque, with still-violet highlights that reveal the phenolic concentration of the vintage.

Nose

The nose is complex and aromatic, blending ripe black and red fruits (blackberry, black cherry, plum) with floral notes of violet. Touches of dark chocolate, fine cedar, graphite and tobacco complete the bouquet, adding a spicy, subtly woody dimension.

Palate

The palate is full and powerful, carried by a fine, racy tannic structure that never becomes heavy. The texture, silky yet firmly structured, reflects the character of Cabernet Sauvignon, enveloping the palate while a welcome freshness balances the richness of the fruit. The long, concentrated finish leaves a lingering trace of black fruits, floral notes and mineral touches.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine is ideally paired with noble red meats, whether a rack of lamb in an herb crust, a matured rib of beef or roast duck with cherry sauce.

Serving and Cellaring

Second Flight 2021 will benefit from decanting before serving to fully reveal its aromatic potential. It is best enjoyed at a temperature between 16 and 18°C.

Screaming Eagle: The Floral, Satiny Expression of Oakville, a Great Napa Valley Terroir

The Estate

Founded in 1986 by Jean Phillips in Oakville, in the Napa Valley in California, Screaming Eagle established itself from the 1992 vintage as one of the region's cult wines. In 2006, the estate was sold to Charles Banks and Stan Kroenke; since 2009, Stan Kroenke has been its sole owner, and he also heads several international sports franchises. The estate stands out for its deliberately limited production, its confidential distribution reserved for a list of privileged clients, and its consistent pursuit of quality, both for its emblematic Cabernet Sauvignon and for its second wine, Second Flight.

The Vineyard

The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes destined for Second Flight come from old vines planted on stony soils at the front of the estate, in the Oakville appellation in the heart of the Napa Valley. These well-drained, gravelly soils promote even ripening of the grapes by retaining daytime heat while benefiting from nighttime cooling, ideal conditions for small, concentrated berries.

The Vintage

The 2021 vintage in Napa Valley was marked by a dry growing season, which favoured the production of small berries highly concentrated in sugars and phenolic compounds. This relative dryness limited disease pressure and allowed even ripening of the grapes, while the temperature differences between day and night, typical of Oakville, helped preserve a certain freshness in the fruit.

Winemaking and Ageing

This American wine is vinified and aged to the same exacting standards as the estate's first wine, with particular attention paid to preserving the purity and structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Ageing takes place in oak barrels, with the aim of integrating the wood rather than letting it dominate the aromas, preserving the purity of the fruit while adding structure and complexity to the wine.

Grape Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon