Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992: Price, Taste, What Makes It Special?

The Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 wine is the most expensive bottle of wine sold at a Napa Valley auction. In 2000, an imperial bottle (six liters) of this vintage sold for a whopping $500,000 at the Napa Valley wine auction!

This extraordinary drink boasts ripe dark fruit flavors with subtle toasty oak notes.

It quickly garnered legendary status due to its outstanding quality and minuscule production quantities. Earning perfect scores from many wine critics, it catapulted the Screaming Eagle winery to cult status. 

Let's discover why it’s so expensive, serving tips, and more. We’ll also check out why you should invest in this bottle and how to do it through Vinovest.

How Much Does a Bottle of the Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 Wine Cost?

The Screaming Eagle winery may be very young compared to its French counterparts like Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite Rothschild, but you have to pay a hefty price for its wines. 

A bottle of the Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 wine will set you back by around $23,441 a bottle in 2024.

Why Is the Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 Wine so Expensive?

The extraordinary 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon wine is the debut vintage from the iconic Screaming Eagle Napa winery. 

This Napa Valley red wine achieved exceptionally high critics scores. The wine critic Robert Parker awarded the Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 an outstanding score of 99, while Wine Spectator gave it 96 points.  

The limited production of this vintage wine (only 200 cases!) adds to its allure, with wine lovers scrambling to get their hands on a coveted bottle. 

The Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 Wine: Flavor Profile and Character

The first thing you’ll notice about the Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 wine is its opaque purple color, followed by a sensational nose. 

This rare Screaming Eagle wine exhibits the tasting notes of cassis, jammy blackcurrants, and subtle toasty oak. This is followed by ripe dark fruit flavor on the palate, including dark currant, berries, and black cherry notes — making it a delicious treat for any fine wine lover. 

The 1992 vintage is full-bodied with a rich flavor and well-balanced finish that helps subdue the strong tannins. 

Serving Tips and Food Pairings With the Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 Wine

To enhance the fresh taste of this Napa Valley red wine, serve it at 15.5°C (60°F).

Since the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon wine is unfined and unfiltered, it needs up to an hour of decanting to allow the sediment to settle. 

The tasting notes of this cult wine complement classic meat dishes, including veal, beef, pork, lamb, roast chicken, and duck. Screaming Eagle Cabernet also goes well with Asian dishes and hearty fish courses like tuna and salmon. 

Now, here’s a bit of a background about the winery itself.

Screaming Eagle Winery and Winemaking

The Screaming Eagle winery is perched on a hillside in the Oakville appellation, near the Dalla Valle Vineyard in Napa wine country.

Its vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Merlot and Cabernet Franc grape varieties.

In 1992, Screaming Eagle debuted its first vintage wine, spearheaded by winemaker Heidi Barrett. Interestingly, Heidi Peterson Barrett brought her expertise from the Dalla Valle Vineyard winery.

This Napa Valley wine release consisted of about 200 cases of the 1992 Cabernet. The expensive wine was aged in 60% new French oak barrels for almost two years. 

Today, the estate produces around 500-750 cases of wine each year, encompassing various types of wines. Most wine bottles are sold directly to consumers via an exclusive mailing list. 

In addition to the famous red wines (Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and The Flight — a blend of Cabernet and Merlot), the winery also produces a rare and expensive bottle of white wine from Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

A Brief History of the Screaming Eagle Winery

In 1986, real estate agents Jean Phillips and Tony Bowden bought a 57-acre Oakville vineyard (in the east of the Napa River) already planted with a variety of grapes.

Initially, Jean Philips sold all the produce from the Oakville vineyard to other Napa Valley winemakers. She then sought expert advice for her estate’s superior Cabernet Sauvignon yield from the vintners at the Robert Mondavi Winery. 

After recognizing the vineyard’s potential, the Robert Mondavi team advised her to consult Richard Peterson and his daughter, winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett. At that time, Richard Peterson and Heidi Barrett were both working at Dalla Valle Vineyards — a winery that was founded by Naoko and Gustav Dalla Valle. 

Together, they released the Screaming Eagle 1992 vintage. The wine then received a near-perfect score of 99 points from wine critic Robert Parker! 

In 2006, Stan Kroenke and Charles Banks acquired the now-famous Oakville estate from Jean Phillips. They assembled a distinguished team, including winemaker Andy Erickson, estate manager David Abreu, and French oenologist Michel Rolland to be part of the winery. 

Currently, the Screaming Eagle’s winemakers are Nick Gislason and Robert Black. Meanwhile, Michel Rolland is a consultant.

Now, should you put your money into the celebrated Screaming Eagle 1992 Cabernet?

Why You Should Invest in a Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 Wine

What makes Screaming Eagle 1992 such an expensive wine is its rarity and cult status.

The price of this wine increased by 27% — from $18,336 in July 2022 to $23,382 in July 2023.

The Screaming Eagle 1992 vintage steals the limelight at many auction events. For example, at a Christie’s auction: 

• In 2016, two bottles of Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 sold for $11,025. 
• In 2018, a magnum 1992 Cabernet sold for $26,277. 

In the year 2000, six magnum bottles of this cult wine sold for $500,000 at Auction Napa Valley — causing the retail price of the vintage to skyrocket. 

Wondering how you can buy Screaming Eagle's Cabernet Sauvignons or other fine wine bottles from around the world?

Look no further than the Vinovest website!

Invest in Screaming Eagle Wines Through Vinovest

Vinovest is an online wine investment platform that helps you buy, store, and sell the finest wines from all corners of the world.

The best part?You don’t need to be a wine expert or a professional to have a successful wine portfolio.

Follow these simple steps to build a profitable portfolio: 

• Sign up on the Vinovest website.
• Complete a brief questionnaire to help Vinovest build a personalized portfolio that suits your investment style. 
• Add a minimum deposit of $1,000 to your account. 
• Enjoy a glass of the 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet while you watch your wine portfolio grow.

Here are the benefits of investing through Vinovest:

• Easy Buying and Selling of Wines: Vinovest’s AI-based online platform makes it easy for you to buy and sell fine wines. You can sell your wines anytime, but it’s usually best to sell fine wine when it has reached its peak value (after 5-20 years). To simplify things for you, our advisors will work with you to maximize your returns.
• Optimal Storage: Vinovest stores your wines in climate-controlled bonded warehouses that don’t charge excise duty or VAT.
• Best Prices: Vinovest sources wines directly from winemakers, global wine exchanges, and wine merchants. This ensures that you buy top-notch wine bottles at the best possible wholesale prices.
• Low Overall Costs: The platform charges a 2.5% annual fee (1.9% for a portfolio over $50,000). This covers wine buying, authentication, storage, a full insurance policy at market value, portfolio management, and selling.
• Easy Delivery of Wines: If you want a bottle from your collection, it can be shipped to your doorstep — whether you’re in Italy, the USA, or Australia.

Visit the Vinovest website to discover more!

Get an Outstanding Screaming Eagle Vintage for Your Cellar!

If you're a red wine lover, the 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet vintage should be on your list. You can add this gem to your cellar or serve it to your visitors on your next special occasion.

But locating a bottle may be challenging — you won't find it at your local wine store. 

Check out the Vinovest website to get your hands on a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet.

This site will also make it easy for you to invest in Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere in the world, white wine, or Cabernet Franc.

You’ll even get access to wines that perform well at Auction Napa Valley, or those with high ratings from Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, and other wine critics! This includes bottles from Harlan Estate, Napa Wineries, the Oakville appellation, New Zealand, and all over the world.