Screaming Eagle - Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Bewertungen

• 98/100

  Decanter
  "The 2022 Screaming Eagle is superbly perfumed, bursting with rose, rose stem, and violets. The tannins are silky and refined, reminiscent of 2018, with less grip and more sleek finesse—here, satin takes precedence over velvet. Ripe mulberry fruit, sandalwood, and coriander add layers to the medium-bodied palate, which is energised by saline-acid tension and remarkable balance. As the tannins melt seamlessly, notes of cocoa powder and cool slate crispness linger, enhancing the wine’s precision and elegance. The result of careful, patient winemaking and extreme sorting, this 2022 vintage delivers remarkable poise despite the challenges. Fermented in large wood foudres, concrete, and stainless steel, then aged 20–22 months in 69% new French oak, it is a stunning achievement. It may not be the longest-lived Eagle, but it's one to enjoy earlier in life. (“In a twisted way, vintages like this excite me a bit,” says Nick Gislason, winemaker at Screaming Eagle. “There were real decisions to make in the vineyard that had serious consequences, unlike years like 2018, 2019, or 2007, where choices shape the wine but don’t create disaster.” Coming off multiple dry years, 2022 was a test of resilience. With less than half the typical rainfall in 2020 and 2021, the vineyard entered the growing season under significant drought stress. “Even with winter rain, the effects of prolonged drought are sequential,” Gislason explains. Due to hydric stress, the vines had smaller canopies, lighter crop loads, and less Merlot. Fortunately, a cooler early season encouraged slow ripening and perfume development, keeping the fruit balanced before the extreme Labor Day heatwave. With brix levels at 19–20, the grapes were still firm and able to withstand dehydration, unlike riper fruit that’s more vulnerable. The estate’s later-ripening, cold-sink location allowed them to ride out the heatwave, with selective sorting ensuring only pristine fruit made it to the winery. Harvest began on September 23 and wrapped by October 10, with just four barrels of Merlot, which were blended into the flagship Cabernet rather than bottled separately.)"

• 95/100

  Jeb Dunnuck
  "The only wine produced in the vintage with no Flight cuvée made, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon offers classic aromatics of cassis and ripe darker cherries intermixed with blue fruits, graphite, roasted herbs, and wildflowers in a nicely perfumed, spicy, complex, classic Cabernet Sauvignon perfume. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with quality tannins and outstanding length, and certainly avoids any of the over ripeness and blousy character that can be common in the vintage. This beautifully classic, balanced, sound effort will evolve gracefully for two decades if well stored. Drink 2025-2045."