Screaming Eagle Winery

Hands down, the most renowned California cult wine that has ever been produced...so far. It all started from modest beginnings when Jean Philips a former real estate agent bought a 57 acre Oakville vineyard in 1986. She sold off all the grapes to other wineries apart from one 1-acre plot (0.40 ha) of Cabernet Sauvignon from which she wanted to make her own wine. Heidi Peterson Barret became winemaker and the 1992, the first commercial vintage, was released in 1996. It was reviewed immediately by Robert Parker who bestowed it with an incredible 99 points, describing it as "one of the greatest young Cabernets I have ever tasted." After this the Eagle took flight. She replanted her vineyards that same year (1995) to 3 varieties in order to produce a whopping 500 cases per vintage (which has increased to 600-700 since). Today, it still remains the most expensive California red wine on the secondary market. Despite the extroverted styles of other California cult wines, Screaming Eagle remains one of the most elegant and balanced. In 2006, it was purchased by Charles Banks and Stan Kroenke, who then hired Michel Rolland as consultant. Charles sold his shares in 2009 making Stan the sole owner.