2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and The Flight
The 2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the rare modern Napa wines to earn a triple 100 points, and its Merlot-led sibling, The Flight, followed with 99 points. Weekend Wine is offering both in original wooden case 3-packs: the Cabernet at $11,500 per case and The Flight at $2,675 per case. Same estate, same vintage, two very different expressions of why Screaming Eagle remains the most coveted name in Napa Valley.
Screaming Eagle: Napa’s Original Cult Estate
Screaming Eagle began in 1986, when Jean Phillips bought a modest Oakville property with a mixed vineyard and a hunch. She kept the best Cabernet parcels, and the first commercial release in 1992 turned a tiny hillside estate into the defining cult wine of California almost overnight. Production was minuscule, the mailing list closed quickly, and the wine became shorthand for Napa at its most exclusive.
Since 2006, the estate has been owned by Stan Kroenke, under whom the vineyard was extensively replanted and refined. Winemaker Nick Gislason now leads a team that treats each block almost like its own wine, picking and fermenting in small lots before assembling a final blend that changes with every vintage. The philosophy is simple to state and hard to execute: let the site and the year speak, then bottle only what clears an extraordinarily high bar.
The Oakville Site
The estate sits on the eastern side of Oakville, near the Silverado Trail, on rocky, well-drained soils that keep yields naturally low and concentrate the fruit. That stony ground is a big part of why Screaming Eagle so often shows a mineral, crushed-rock character alongside its dark fruit, and why the wines carry such fine-grained tannins rather than sheer weight. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the plantings, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc adding perfume and texture, and the older Merlot vines on the property form the backbone of The Flight.
The 2016 Vintage: How a Cool August Made a Classic
In 2016, Napa was racing toward another record-early harvest. Then August turned unexpectedly cool. The slowdown gave the fruit extra time on the vine to build aromatics and refine its tannins without running up the sugar. The result was one of the valley’s most complete vintages in years: perfumed, layered, and built on finesse rather than brute force.
For an estate whose style already favors precision over power, that kind of season was close to ideal. Screaming Eagle turned the extra hang time into two wines that now serve as reference points for the vintage, one Cabernet-driven and towering, the other Merlot-driven and aromatic.
2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, 3-Pack in Original Wooden Case
The Cabernet is the vintage at its purest. The 2016 blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, and it captures everything the cool August made possible: dark fruit, florals and the estate’s signature crushed-rock minerality, all carried by a freshness that defines 2016. It is powerful but never heavy, with the kind of structure and length that marks a wine built for the long haul. Its perfect scores from Wine Advocate, Vinous and James Suckling put it in very rare company, even by Screaming Eagle standards.
When to drink: Ten years on, the 2016 is only just entering its drinking window, and its best years are still well ahead. Open a bottle now and it deserves a long decant. Hold it, and it should keep evolving for decades. The only hard part is the waiting.
2016 Screaming Eagle The Flight, 3-Pack in Original Wooden Case
The Flight shows what that extra hang time did for Merlot. Built on a core of older Merlot vines in the southeast corner of the estate, it is Screaming Eagle’s second red, but in 2016 it plays like far more than an understudy. The vintage gave it the same aromatic lift as the Cabernet, with more depth, structure and tannic grip than a typical year, making this an unusually serious edition. With 99 points from James Suckling and 98 from Vinous, it is also one of the most compelling ways to own top-tier Screaming Eagle at a fraction of the flagship’s price.
When to drink: The Flight was always going to be the earlier-drinking of the two, and a decade on it should be moving into a more open, generous phase. Its structure still points to many years of life ahead for those who prefer to wait.
Why Collectors Should Consider Both
Owning the Cabernet and The Flight side by side is the clearest way to see how Screaming Eagle reads a single vintage across its own vineyard. Both come in their original wooden cases, which collectors and auction houses favor for long-term cellaring and resale. Two iconic wines, one estate, one legendary vintage. Choosing between them is optional.
Explore the full Screaming Eagle collection for other available vintages, or reach out directly with questions on either wine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What scores did the 2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon receive?
The 2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon earned perfect 100-point scores from three major critics: Wine Advocate, Antonio Galloni of Vinous, and James Suckling, with Jeb Dunnuck adding 98+ points. That triple 100 places it among the most highly rated Napa Cabernets of the past decade. The companion 2016 The Flight received 99 points from James Suckling and 98 from Vinous.
What is the difference between Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and The Flight?
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate’s flagship, a Cabernet-dominant blend from its Oakville vineyard. The Flight is the estate’s second red, a Merlot-led blend built around older Merlot vines on the property. Both come from the same estate and winemaking team, but The Flight offers a more aromatic, plush expression at a fraction of the flagship’s price.
Who owns Screaming Eagle?
Screaming Eagle was founded by Jean Phillips, who bought the Oakville property in 1986 and released the first commercial vintage in 1992. Since 2006, the estate has been owned by Stan Kroenke, under whom the vineyard was extensively replanted. Winemaker Nick Gislason now leads the team, working in small lots block by block before assembling the final blend each vintage.
When should I drink the 2016 Screaming Eagle?
The 2016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon is just beginning its drinking window and should continue improving for decades. If you open a bottle now, decant it for several hours. The 2016 The Flight is more approachable today, moving into a more open and generous phase, but it still has the structure for long cellaring. Patience pays off with both wines.
Why is 2016 considered a great Napa Valley vintage?
2016 began on track for another record-early Napa harvest, but an unexpectedly cool August slowed ripening. That extra hang time let grapes develop aromatic complexity and refined tannins without excess sugar. The resulting wines are layered, fresh and balanced, built on finesse rather than power, and 2016 is widely regarded as one of Napa’s most complete vintages of the decade.
Why does an original wooden case (OWC) matter for Screaming Eagle?
An original wooden case means the bottles have stayed together as packed by the estate, which collectors and auction houses value highly. For wines like Screaming Eagle, intact OWC 3-packs are easier to resell, often command a premium, and are ideal for long-term cellaring. Both 2016 Screaming Eagle offers from Weekend Wine come in their original wooden cases.