THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.

I know I am the blue-collar wine guy, and that I am bent on taking the “snob” out of wine. However, that does not mean that I would pass on an opportunity to taste a wine that is highly rated, just because I could not afford it myself. First and foremost, I love wine and am always curious how a wine will show whether it is a thousand bucks a bottle or ten. So when my phone rang and my good friend said he had some Screaming Eagle for me to try, I jumped at the opportunity (wouldn’t you?).

Dionysus is a friend of mine that is one of the most generous souls I have met. He loves to share, especially when it comes to wine. He recently saved a couple of glasses of 2011 Screaming Eagle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for one of his trusted employees (the friend who called me), who in turn shared it with me. I have had a few opportunities to taste various vintages of this highly rated cab only because Dionysus was willing to share. I would not have turned those opportunities down in a million years. I may be a blue-collar wine guy, but I understand that there are many great wines out there that I will never get to try, unless someone shares.

The 2011 Screaming Eagle Cab is the best Eagle I have tasted to date. The other vintages were very good, but in my humble opinion were not worth the price tag. The ’11 Eagle is stunning, I can think of no better descriptor. A bouquet of violets, rose petals, currants, red cherries and minerals. On the palate, the acidity is the backbone of the wine, driving the notes of currants, red cherries, violets, rose petals and earth notes. This is a complex wine expressing what a Cab can be in a most exquisite way. It is very drinkable now (with generous decanting) but will age nicely over the next twenty years. Balanced, seamless, complex and layered.

The 2011 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon landed in the sweet spot of my palate and despite the price tag, I believe it is one of the best I have tasted in a long time. Thank you Dionysus (and your trusted employee) for being willing to share such an incredible wine.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man