Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Founded in 1982 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer and sits on a tree covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley, with caves that extend for over a mile. Pale lemon color with aromas of stone and tropical fruit, sweet oak, spice and floral scents. On the palate flavors of ripe peach, melon and apple, with vanilla spice, creamy texture. Medium+ finish, well balanced with acidity, ending with mineral notes. — 5 months ago

J. Kim

9.0

Covered with coffee oak but intensely silvery mineral aroma matches it well. — 5 years ago

Carlos Gonzalez

9.3

Delish now or later. Dark chocolate covered pencil. 55%Cab 45%Merlot — 5 years ago

Severn G

9.6

Happy Father's Day 2020 to all; I'm posting pictures of our fur-kids, an independent and somewhat self-interested bunch. Two boys (9) and two girls (3), all rescued from various locations across the East Coast of the US. They generally bring the utmost of joy to my life on a daily basis.

Nose has blackberry jam on moist leather, minor cedar, very light barnyard notes, grilled blackberry,
blueberry compote, brewed dark roasted coffee, wet garden soil, chocolate vines candy and dried orange peel.

Palate has over-ripe blackberry, wet tanned leather, dark chocolate syrup, dehydrated black cherry, chocolate covered blueberry and moist cedar.

Silky smooth, intense finish running +2m, still showing tannins. Expect this bottle to easily hold another 10+ years without concern, in proper storage.

Decanted ~5h. Paired with well salted (in advance), medium-rare, grilled NY strip steaks from my favorite, local farmer in Columbia Co. NY (Kinderhook Farm) and sauted, early season, baby squash in ozro with our garden herbs.

INAUGURAL vintage on this wine, I certainly didn't realize that fact when we bought it in September 2005! This has been in storage for the prior 15 years, just coming back home in January 2020.

Merlot 50% / Cabernet Sauvignon 40% / Petit Verdot 10% — 6 years ago

Vitaly Domnenko

9.4

Bm+. Tm. Am. Fm. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Wonderful Merlot. Nose of wild berries and bittersweet chocolate. The entry of this wine is dark. Brambly and blackberry and baking chocolate. The middle has a chocolate covered almond character to it. Hint of herb. Finished with toasted oak and nice acidity. I am 100% sure I will not have the willpower to hold on to my other bottle of this. I can also appreciate the 95 this one scored as well. Nice, nice Columbia Valley Merlot! Rolland and merlot are an excellent combo! — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2015 vintage. Oodles of sweet oak along with chocolate covered cherry at first palate impression. Light/medium body. Smooth and spicy finish. Pretty. — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2020 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 1.5 hours. Chocolate covered cherry mixed with wet earth. Much too much too soon but still overtly delicious. 9.12.25. — 9 months ago

Paul K

9.3

From Pina winemaker. It’s great. Chocolate covered cherries. Need to get more. — 4 years ago

Mono Head

9.3

Dryer but with good fruits. Dark berries. Mineral finish. Integrated and intense. Flavor lingers. End palette is a little spicy and baking spice. This one is more integrated but flatter than the dr crane.

Smell- bell peppers with hands covered,spicy. — 5 years ago

Joe Christenson

9.1

Rich dried dark fruit, tart cherry, chocolate covered cherry, violet, spices, and earthy + leathery notes. Medium bodied, deep but with enough bright acidity to keep it from feeling too heavy. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

You should never drink & drive but, it’s ok when it’s Santa’s magical sleigh.

The nose broods; dark cassis & some currants, candied, dark chocolate, covered cherries, blackberries, stewed plum, baked strawberries, sweet tarriness, black licorice, very, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon and vanillin notes, wet clay, dry, crushed rocks, limestone minerals, hints graphite, very dark cola to liqueur characteristics, whiff of white pepper, some dry herbs-Rosemary dominant with slight candied, bright, fresh, dark, red florals.

The body is thick, rich & full. I thought this would be near or at its peak but, there is another 3-5 years before it gets there. The structure & tension are still quite powerful. The tannins are round but, thick, tarry, chewy and still well pronounced. It’s good but, lacks a little depth, complexity & character for me. Dark cassis & some currants, candied, dark chocolate, covered cherries, blackberries, stewed plum, baked strawberries, raspberries playing hide & go seek, sweet tarriness, black licorice, strong dark spices with plenty of palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and vanillin notes, wet clay forest floor, shades of mushroom pop up, dry, crushed rocks, limestone minerals, hints graphite, dry tobacco with ash, leathery, very dark cola to liqueur characteristics, white pepper, some dry herbs-Rosemary dominant with slight candied, bright, fresh, dark, red, blue & purple florals. The acidity is like a gentle spring. The long finish is, ripe, ruby, slightly candied, juicy and elegant that falls into seriously pronounced dark spices. Especially, for Merlot.

Good wine...it’s just lacks the depth I look for in a 10 year old red. And, not sure it delivers it down the road. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Chocolate covered black cherry cordial. Went really well with our dinner, but when drinking this wine with Blue Bell cherry vanilla ice cream, it was otherworldly. The wind starts off with more black cherry and cola, picks up the chocolate notes in the middle. Finishes medium-plus body and just sits there on the tongue. 30 to 40 second finish. Compared to the 2011, this one has a little more structure, definitely more polished. Per the last email, this one was held back a year, and now I understand why. Crazy thing is, it doesn't score as well as the 2012 or 2013. If that is the case, I can't wait to get to those! — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1996 vintage. 6% Cab Franc but 50+% Cab and remaining % Merlot. Last tasted 9.29.24 (9.5) and 8.2.24 (9.6). This specimen nice fill and halfway saturated cork. Decanted and throwing appropriate sed. Tasted 30 mins post-decant. Light-medium body. Dark cherry and milk chocolate nose. Cocoa powder and chocolate-covered cherry in the flavors. Tannins primarily on the back palate. More than holding up and getting by. This has a few more years afoot. Gonna say it again for those in the back…this is the best wine they’ve ever made-white or red. Get off my lawn. 05.07.25. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The somewhat lesser known “second” wine of Screaming Eagle is actually a much different wine than its big brother as it includes a lot more Merlot in the blend. In fact, the 2011 vintage contained more Merlot (54%) than Cabernet Sauvignon (42%) with the balance covered by Cabernet Franc. However, they still spare no expense in making the wine the very best it can be and, despite being known as the second wine, it’s actually more limited in production than Screagle. This particular bottle was shared by a very generous friend and decanted about 30 minutes before service.

The 2011 Second Flight pours a dark garnet with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity. On the nose, medium+ intensity with pronounced pyrazines imparting green bell pepper along with with tobacco, black bramble fruit, black currants, rich earth, crushed rock, semi-sweet chocolate, dried herbs, purple flowers, baking cocoa, and espresso. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with medium+ tannins (which are very rich and very fine) and medium+ acid. The wine finishes forever long with tobacco, dark fruits, earth, nutmeg other baking spices. I have to admit, this was a killer bottle and probably the best 2011’s I’ve yet to enjoy from Napa. Whoa. — 5 years ago

David Cox

9.4

Right bank, cab franc forward. Chocolate covered cherry. Mouth drying tannic structure. Great value. — 6 years ago

Brandon Boesch

10

Wow! Singing. Menthol, berries, hint of cream, herbs, cassis. I am influenced by drinking with the guy who made this wine while listening to him play songs from the album! Still excellent for an almost 20 year old wine. — 7 years ago

with Randy

E & K G

9.3

Light apricot with a dash of pears covered in honey. Brimming with energy and power. Can’t have enough.. — 7 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2016 Long Shadows 'Saggi' is a thrilling blend of Sangiovese (Boushey and Candy Mountain Vineyards) with 29% Cabernet Sauvignon (Weinbau Vineyard) and the remainder Syrah (Den Hoed Dutchman and Bacchus Vineyards). The nose is drop-dead gorgeous with bacon fat, black olive tapenade, mocha and fennel. The stunning range of aromas bring you back to the glass for more. Revealing a silky texture and a wonderfully ripe mouthfeel, this slowly unveils smoked meat, black tea, milk chocolate covered cherry and roasted fig flavors. Decadent, layered and downright delicious, this beautiful wine will enjoy an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 20-9-2033- 95 — 7 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2010 Greer Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford, Napa Valley. 4 hour decant, deep crimson hued, this wine has a killer explosive nose of dark fruits, cinnamon, baking spices, menthol and flint. Chocolate covered cherries, cocoa and espresso mid palate, with a touch of nutmeg. Moderate trademark Rutherford dusty tannins in just the right proportion. Dense and concentrated. Beautifully layered with a silky mouth feel, and a lingering finish. In this age of $400-$500+ Napa Cabs, this wine takes a back seat to none of them. I’m a fan. You da man Rob Greer! — 8 years ago