5 Standout Alternatives to Screaming Eagle, One of Napa’s Most Coveted Cult Wines

It’s no secret that Napa Valley is home to some of the priciest American wines. But there’s expensive Napa wine, and then there’s Screaming Eagle. Easily considered to be one of the world’s most sought-after wines, Screaming Eagle got its start in 1986 when founder Jean Phillips acquired a 57-acre vineyard in Napa’s prestigious Oakville sub-AVA. After selling grapes to other winemakers in the area for a few years, Phillips brought on winemaker Heidi Barrett to produce the first vintage of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992.

Almost immediately after its release in 1995, the wine received a near-perfect 99-point score from wine critic Robert Parker. While the Cabernet was originally priced at $75, as hype continued to build, prices climbed with it.

Today, the only way to get your hands on a bottle is through the winery’s mailing list, which has a waiting list of 12 years to join. Through the winery’s direct-to-consumer sales, bottles retail for somewhere around $750, depending on vintage. For those not on the mailing list, they have to duke it out on the secondary market, where bottles soar into the thousands of dollars. According to Wine-Searcher, a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon retails for an average $3,800, making it the third most expensive Napa Valley wine.

For those looking for an equally impressive California Cab with the same bold, fruit-forward flavors and luxurious tannins, there are plenty of highly regarded alternatives on the market, many of which don’t come attached to eye-wateringly high price tags. From bottles from the very first producer to debut a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in America to those produced in the same AVA as the prestige bottle, here are five of the best alternatives to Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon.

Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Located in St. Helena, Calif., Heitz Cellar was established in 1961 by winemaker Joe Heitz. In 1966, Heitz debuted its Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which featured fruit exclusively grown on the prestigious Oakville plot. The wine was one of the first single-vineyard wines produced in Napa Valley and remains highly sought after to this day. While it definitely serves as a great stand-in for Screaming Eagle’s Cab, prices are lofty, with each bottle listed at approximately $350. For a knockout bottling from the same producer at a more wallet-friendly price, reach for the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Priced at $85 per bottle, the wine is produced from grapes grown across the region, resulting in a rich and grippy Cabernet with notes of red currant, dark cocoa, plum, and underbrush.

Sojourn Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by longtime friends Erich Bradley and Craig Haserot, who wanted to produce small batches of Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from some of Northern California’s highest-quality vineyards. While the winery produces wine from grapes grown across the Napa Valley, this specific bottling only includes fruit grown in the Oakville AVA, the same AVA as Screaming Eagle. The most recent vintage was produced in 2022, a year that benefited from a warm summer with early ripening grapes with smaller berries and lower yields. According to the winery, this resulted in highly concentrated flavors and more prominent tannins. Aged in 70 percent new French oak barrels, the Cabernet is bottled at 14.6 percent ABV and has notes of mocha, cassis, and blackberry. Like Screaming Eagle, Sojourn Cellars Oakville Cabernet is small production only, though bottles retail for around $95.

Cobden Wini Wines Old Federal Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley’s Cobden Wini was founded by winemaker Mark Davis, who grew up just outside of Washington, D.C., and moved across the country just after college to pursue a future in winemaking. After graduating the UC Davis viticulture and enology program, Davis founded his own winery, Cobden Wini, with the name paying homage to his parents, Christopher Cobden and Mary Winifred. While Davis had a particular fascination with Cabernet Franc, his father adored Cabernet Sauvignon, so he produced Old Federal Vineyard Cabernet as a tribute. Produced from fruit sourced from the Old Federal Vineyard in Oakville, the wine is matured for 22 months, resulting in a delicate yet robust Cabernet. The bottle opens with aromas of blackcurrant, blackberries, and spice before a palate with deep fruit and punchy tannins takes over. Priced around $100 per bottle, the wine has a softness and plushness on the palate that provides a delightful point of balance.

Force & Grace Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

For yet another Oakville bottling offering incredible quality for a fraction of Screaming Eagle’s price, turn to Force & Grace. Founded by vintner Joseph Carr (of Josh Cellars fame), each vintage of Force & Grace is produced by winemaker Jean Hoefliger, who strives to make wine with a hyper-specific sense of place. While Josh Cellars focuses on bringing affordable Napa Valley wine to the masses, Force & Grace seeks to showcase the region’s most prestigious terroir. The winery’s Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic example of this effort, with the bottle demonstrating incredible balance between power and softness. Bold yet refined, the wine opens with aromas of plush oak seamlessly integrated with bright red fruit and pops of soil, rhubarb, and pepper. While full-bodied, there is an impressive amount of finesse on the palate, with deep fruit and refreshing acidity leading the charge, while tannins work to hold everything firmly in place.

Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Family-owned and operated Corison Winery was founded in 1987 by Cathy Corison and her husband William Martin. The two got their start making wine in Napa Valley by sourcing fruit from other vineyards, eventually acquiring their own estate vineyard in 1995. Since the beginning, Corison has focused heavily on crafting elegant and refined Cabernet Sauvignon, and that effort can be tasted with every sip of its Napa Valley Cabernet. The wine opens with aromas of forest floor, black pepper, wild berries, and anise before a full-bodied palate takes over, delivering notes of juicy cherry, spice, and cacao. At approximately $125 a bottle, this is a special bottle worth savoring.

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