California Legends

Flickinger Wines has a choice selection in-stock of arguably the three most sought after wines in California - Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle and Scarecrow. No need to wait multiple years to get on a mailing list when you can take advantage of our stock of current vintages - choose from the stunning 2016 Scarecrow and Screaming Eagle or 2015 Harlan (among others) - all of which are 100 pointers! We also have back vintages reaching back a decade to the 2008 Harlan, which is just hitting it's stride. Take advantage of our inventory of these California legends and add a few bottles to your collection today - Cheers!

The following are the wines remaining from the offer sent on Monday, December 2, 2019. Please enter your desired quantities and click the 'Add' button.

Producer	Vint.	Wine	Price	Qty	Order
		USA Red
Bond Estates (Harlan)	2012	Pluribus Proprietary Blend Torn Label	$385	2
	JS 98 (7/2015): This is so muscular and juicy with fascinating aromas of hot asphalt, tea leaf, autumn leaf, fresh leather and dark fruits. It’s full-bodied and strong yet pure and handsome. Manly. Great texture. Needs at least five to six years to soften. The best Pluribus ever?   WA 95+ (10/2015): From a 7-acre parcel on Spring Mountain, the 2012 Pluribus Proprietary Red Wine exhibits the white flowers (acacia?), blueberry and black raspberry fruit that comes from this high elevation site. It is full-bodied but very tannic, backward, coiled and relatively tight, behaving in that sense more like a 2013 than a 2012. This wine is set for a long life of 30+ years. Forget it for another 4 or 5 years, then consume it over the following three decades.   VM 95+ (10/2015): The 2012 Pluribus has softened considerably over the last year. White pepper, cranberry, chalk, blood orange and spices are some of the signatures. Precise and finely sculpted, the 2012 is all about finesse. There is plenty to like here. Antonio Galloni.   WS 92 (11/2015): Notes of gravelly earth, graphite and riverbed pebbles give this a distinctive, stony mouthfeel. Ends chewy, with mocha, dark berry, plum, road tar and espresso flavors. Should improve with short-term cellaring. To be released spring 2016. Best from 2017 through 2030. 570 cases made.
Harlan Estate	2008	Proprietary Blend	$679	2
	JS 98 (6/2011): I am speechless. I love the pure aromas of currants, blackberries, minerals and mint -- eucalyptus too. Full body yet so refined and beautiful. Subtle complexity. Great length. Give it two or three years to come together, but hard to hold back.   WA 96 (12/2011): Espresso, mocha, dark red berries, rose petals and spices are some of the many notes that emerge from the 2008 Harlan Estate. The wine fleshes out beautifully in the glass as it shows off its class and true pedigree. This is a decidedly ripe, forward vintage, but in exchange the wine will drink well right out of the gate. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.   WS 96 (11/2011): Deliciously ripe, complex and aromatic, yet tight and closed, with dried currant, loamy earth, mocha, cedar, blueberry and plum flavors. The impressive finish shows detailed flavors and nuances. Full-blown, yet not as ripe as some Harlans. Best from 2013 through 2028. 1,260 cases made.   VM 95 (6/2011): Full ruby-red. Pure, mineral-driven aromas of plum, licorice and flowers. Creamy and plush yet at the same time vibrant and penetrating; a real essence of floral, minerally cabernet in the mouth but a baby today. Most impressive on the subtle, mounting finish, which features noble tannins and Outstanding persistence. This will be splendid, but give it eight years of bottle aging.
	2009	Proprietary Blend	$660	3
	VM 97+ (5/2012): Saturated ruby to the rim. Outstanding floral lift to the aromas of cassis, licorice, menthol and pungent minerality. Very pure, primary and high-pitched, but already boasts an extraordinarily fine-grained texture, reflecting both the vintage and the site. Most impressive today on the palate-saturating finish, which features wonderfully silky tannins and great mounting persistence.   WA 97 (12/2012): The 2009 Proprietary Blend Harlan Estate is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Cloves, dark plums, cherries, smoke and graphite add richness and resonance to this powerful, incisive wine. Juicy and exuberant, the 2009 has always had a certain raciness that is impossible to resist. Layers of fruit continue to build to the enveloping, sensual finish. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this hugely delicious wine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.   WS 96 (10/2012): Offering a Pomerol-like silkiness, this is very rich and layered, with ripe dark berry, roasted plum and cassis flavors. Yet what's striking is the texture, which has the density of the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. To be released spring 2013. Best from 2014 through 2026. 1,900 cases made.
	2010	Proprietary Blend	$895	3
	VM 100 (11/2013): The 2010 Harlan Estate is magnificent. One of the very best wines I have ever tasted at Harlan, the 2010 brings together richness and volume, but with a level of energy and sheer precision I don't think I have ever seen in a young Harlan Estate. Layers of deeply expressive dark red/black fruit, cloves, menthol and new leather flesh out in a seamless wine endowed with stunning balance and class. Iron, melted road tar, tobacco and incense add shades of complexity on the finish. The 2010 has turned out even better than I had originally expected. Today it is epic.   JS 100 (5/2014): Fascinating aromas of rock and dark fruits such as blueberries and blackberries. Transparency is fascinating. Full body, with wonderfully formed tannins that give tension and form to a perfect wine of incredible layers and depth. Reminds me of something like 1961 Latour - not that I tasted it young, but there's a classicism to it. Unmitigated purity to this wine. This will be so much better in 2020. Get the chance to try it.   WA 98+ (10/2013): I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 2010 Harlan Estate inch closer to perfection over the next decade. Surprisingly supple for this vintage, while this cuvee is not usually that flamboyant or exuberant in its youth, the 2010 is sensual and performing remarkably well. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notions of charcoal, graphite, camphor, creme de cassis, barbecue smoke and blackberries. As usual, this complex effort reminds me of a hypothetical blend of a great Pauillac and Graves (such as La Mission Haut-Brion). Rich, full-bodied and softer than I would have expected in this vintage, it is a prodigious, multidimensional, compelling wine. It requires 3-5 years of bottle age and should drink well over the following 30+ years.   WS 96 (10/2013): A serious wine that commands attention, from its initial rustic earth, crushed rock and dense berry flavors to its push of concentrated dark berry, dried herb, dried licorice, road tar and dried flowers. Never loses purpose or direction. Patience required. Best from 2015 through 2030. 1,550 cases made.
	2011	Proprietary Blend	$675	2
	VM 94 (12/2014): The 2011 Harlan Estate is super-expressive and textured in the glass. Dark red cherry, plum, spice and new leather open up as the wine sits in the glass. Decidedly mid-weight and gracious, the 2011 impresses for its exceptional balance and sense of proportion. Harlan Estate is capable of myriad of expressions. In 2011, the more feminine side of the property comes through. Although not a blockbuster, the 2011 is incredibly beautiful, especially considering how challenging the year was.   WA 93 (10/2014): More dense, tannic, complex and fuller-bodied thatn Harlan's 2011 The Maiden is the 2011 Harlan Estate. Its plum/purple color is followed by a sweet perfume of camphor, blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, Christmas fruitcake and hints of forest floor and underbrush. Deep, round and generous with silky tannins and a forward, evolved style, this beauty should drink well for 15-18 years.   WS 93 (10/2014): A powerful expression of Cabernet reminiscent of a young Ausone, this is dense, extracted, layered and nuanced, showing fresh earth and rocky soil notes. Once past the chewiness, the ripe currant, plum and wild berry flavors persist. Drink now through 2024. 1,355 cases made.
	2015	Proprietary Blend	$1,250	3
	JD 100 (1/2019): The 2015 Harlan Estate is a beast of a wine that shows the sexy, opulent style of the vintage married to the classic structure and depth of this estate. A downright smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed rocks, graphite, smoky camphor, cured meats, and dried tobacco aromas all emerge from the glass, and it shows the deep, concentrated style of the vintage yet still has awesome complexity and nuances. Deep, powerful, and structured, yet opulent and incredibly sexy on the palate, it reminds me of the 2002. A brilliant wine from this estate, it's already approachable given its wealth of fruit yet has the tannic backbone and density to keep for 3-4 decades or more.   WA 100 (10/2018): Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Harlan Estate is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal black cherries, crème de cassis and plum pudding with nuances of potpourri, baking spices and tilled soil plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic poise and depth with a long, decadently fruited finish.   WS 97 (10/2019): A huge red, with powerfully rendered dark fig, macerated black currant and steeped boysenberry fruit framed by a bittersweet chocolate note. With time in the glass, the fruit unwinds slowly, allowing anise and loam accents to fill in on the fleshy finish. There's some serious heft here through the back end too, with a long echo of smoldering tobacco and a great tug of dark earth. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,839 cases made.   VM 97 (12/2018): The 2015 Harlan Estate has developed into an arrestingly beautiful wine. Racy and sumptuous, the 2015 is already quite showy, with tons of dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice, spice and tobacco character. Today, the 2015 comes across as a bit brooding and hard to read, although some of the rougher edges in the tannins I saw last year have softened. Even so, I would prefer to cellar 2015 for at least a few years. There is so much to look forward to. Antonio Galloni.   JS 99 (12/2018): Incredible aromas of fresh flowers, such as roses and violets, and blackcurrants. Full body and defined levels of fruit and tannins too. Love the brightness and texture. An excellent finish. Production was down by a third because of bad berry set. Try in 2021.
Scarecrow	2012	Cabernet Sauvignon	$549	2
	WA 98 (10/2014): The classic 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon included fruit from the 2-acre, old vine parcel that is nearly 70 years of age. It boasts an opaque purple color as well as copious notes of spring flowers, blackberries, black raspberries and wet rocks. The wine’s gravelly minerality and spectacular opulence and density make it an instant classic. This massive, full-bodied 2012 should drink beautifully for 15-20+ years. It showed incredibly well last year, and it still reveals the potential to possibly merit a 3-digit score – it’s that special.   VM 96 (12/2014): A compelling, exotic beauty, the 2012 Scarecrow impresses for its power and intensity. White flowers, spices and new leather wrap around a core of dark fruit as this imposing, structured Cabernet Sauvignon opens up in the glass. The 2012 needs time in bottle to drop some baby fat and develop more aromatic nuance, but it is absolutely captivating, even today.   WS 95 (10/2015): Smoky, dusty tannins give the earth-laced dark berry, raspberry and floral notes definition, accented by espresso, dark chocolate, licorice and anise hints. The density and richness promise a long life, though this is certainly a delight to drink now. Drink now through 2030. 2,000 cases made.
	2014	Cabernet Sauvignon	$640	3
	WA 100 (12/2016): The utterly perfect 2014 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon (1,500 cases) has everything one could possibly want in a Cabernet. Inky purple-colored to the rim, with a glorious nose of white flowers, crème de cassis, hints of blackberry and boysenberry, some licorice and forest floor are followed by an enormously concentrated wine with fabulous purity, a skyscraper-like mid-palate and texture, a length of nearly a minute, and stunning flavors, with flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol. This is a great, great wine and certainly one of the Cabernet Sauvignons of this vintage. Drink it over the next 25-30 or more years.   VM 96+ (12/2016): The 2014 Scarecrow comes across as understated and refined today. Some of that may be the personality of the year. The 2014 was also bottled relatively recently, which makes me think it could turn out to be even better than this note suggests. Soft, silky tannins and exceptional purity of flavor are two of the signatures in this exceptionally beautiful, captivating Cabernet Sauvignon. Scarecrow can often be powerful and virile. In 2014, however, it is a wine of finesse. Antonio Galloni.
	2015	Cabernet Sauvignon	$565	3
	WA 99 (10/2017): Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the glass with gorgeous floral notes of red roses and lilacs over a core of black and red cherries, crushed black currants and baking spices plus hints of iron ore and dusty earth. The voluptuous, rounded, soft and sexy fruit slinks across the palate with incredible seamlessness and expression. Make no mistake, it is full-bodied and decadently powerful, but with a myriad of aromatic nuances, finishing long, layered and boldly perfumed.   JD 98 (12/2017): The inky colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beauty that shows a richer, more masculine, structured style compared to the 2014. Blackcurrants, smoked herbs, dark chocolate, and graphite notes all emerge from this power packed, rich, full-bodied beauty that has sweet tannin and a great finish. This is a heavenly bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from some of the oldest vines in the valley, in the J.J. Cohn Vineyard on the western side of Rutherford. I’d hide bottles for at least 3-4 years and it’s going to shine for 20-25+ years.
	2016	Cabernet Sauvignon	$609	4
	JD 100 (1/2019): Scheduled to be released in March of this year, the deep ruby-colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon would give the 2015 Château Margaux (that’s what leaped into my head as I tasted this) a run for its money and is an utterly perfect bottle of wine that does everything right. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from very old, dry farmed vines in what was previously known as the J.J. Cohn Vineyard, its deep purple color is followed by a heavenly perfume of blueberries, spring flowers, lead pencil, exotic spices, and graphite. Slightly more focused and poised than the M. Etain release, with full body, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges, it’s a wine of incredible elegance paired with remarkable intensity, and it’s rare to find a wine that marries both so effortlessly. As with the vast majority of truly great Cabernet Sauvignons, it’s great today and will be great in 30 years.   WA 100 (10/2018): Scarecrow is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two acres of old vines planted in 1945 by John Daniel and dry farmed. Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon comes sashaying out of the glass with tantalizing notions of violets, lavender, Black Forest cake, mulberries, tobacco leaf and fragrant earth with a core of warm cassis, kirsch, Chinese five spice, rose hip tea and cedar chest. The palate is full-bodied and super concentrated yet possesses great energy with vibrant red and black fruits and loads of mineral accents, framed by very ripe, super fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long with the most incredible perfume. Hedonistically, undeniably and deliciously perfect. 2,000 cases are to be made, to be released in the spring of 2019.   VM 98 (12/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Scarecrow is another positively riveting wine from this benchmark estate and longtime winemaker Celia Welch. Powerful and explosive on the palate, with tremendous energy, the 2016 has so much to offer. A rush of graphite, smoke, leather and tobacco builds as this beautifully layered, nuanced Cabernet Sauvignon shows why Scarecrow is one of Napa Valley's very finest vineyard sites. Just bottled a few weeks before this tasting, the 2016 is shaping up to be a real jewel of a wine. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
	2014	M. Etain Cohn Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon	$189	5
	WA 94 (12/2016): Celia Welch has hit a home run again with the legendary J.J. Cohn Vineyard in Rutherford, a site that includes a block of old vines planted in 1945, which certainly must make them some of the oldest Cabernet vines in all of Napa Valley. There are 2,000 cases of the 2014 Monsieur Etain, which is a great enough Cabernet by itself. Wonderfully pure crème de cassis notes with some white flowers, lead pencil shavings and incense are followed by a deep, full-bodied wine with silky tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel and a beautiful finish of 40+ seconds. This is an exquisite, dense, rich but sexy Cabernet Sauvignon. And now for the good news – there are 2,000 cases of it. Drink it over the next 20 or more years.
	2015	M. Etain Cohn Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon	$219	6
	JD 94 (12/2017): The 2015 M. Etain from winemaker Celia Welch is a beautiful wine but due to the devastating yields, there’s just a tiny 400 cases produced (there’s close to 2,000 cases of the 2014). It offers terrific amounts of crème de cassis, roasted herbs, chocolate, and graphite nuances in a full-bodied, rounded, concentrated style that’s already impossible to resist. A blend of almost all Cabernet Sauvignon (there’s a small amount of Petit Verdot) that was brought up in 80% new French oak, it has ripe tannin, a balanced, layered style, and will keep for 15-20 years.
Screaming Eagle	2015	Cabernet Sauvignon	$3,195	2
	VM 98 (1/2018): The 2015 Screaming Eagle is fabulous. Rich and ample on the palate, with soaring aromatics from the Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Ripe red plum, pomegranate, mint, kirsch, lavender and sweet spice notes are beautifully delineated in the glass. In this tasting, the Cabernet-based Screaming Eagle is quite a bit more open and accessible than the Merlot-based The Flight. Even so, it will be years before the 2015 Screaming Eagle is ready to drink. Antonio Galloni.   WA 98-100 (10/2017): Blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed blackberries, black cherries and wild blueberries with notions of fragrant earth, garrigue, lavender, Sichuan pepper and dried leaves. Medium-bodied with signature elegance and finesse, it’s the incredibly fine, oh-so-pixelated tannins that help to define the signature of this vineyard, beautifully supporting the elegant fruit, finishing with great poise. This is a very sensuous, pensive style and not for those seeking a full-on blockbuster but rather will greatly pleasure lovers of wines with quiet intensity and subtle depth. Note that this was a tank sample, due to be bottled within a week.
	2016	Cabernet Sauvignon	$3,000	26
	VM 100 (12/2018): The 2016 Screaming Eagle is a positively stunning wine. An intense bouquet gives way to a wine of explosive energy and huge textural depth. Graphite, crushed rocks, menthol, sage and dark spice open up gradually in this reticent, brooding Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2016 is a towering, statuesque wine of the very highest level. That is the good news. The slightly less good news is that it will need a number of years in bottle to be at its very best. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. The 2016 literally does scream, with tons of varietal Cabernet aromatics, flavors and structural drive. In a word: magnificent! Anotnio Galloni.   JD 98+ (1/2019): A primordial baby of a wine, the 2016 Screaming Eagle includes slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than the 2015 and is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. About as elegant and classy as it gets, this brilliant wine offers loads of blueberries, crème de cassis, crushed violets, spice, and a distinct minerality that emerges with time in the glass. Perfectly balanced, incredibly elegant, with great intensity and length, it will most likely merit a triple-digit score in 4-5 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. While it's easy to think all cult California Cabs are rich, monster wines, the reality is far from it, and this estate continues to produce wines in a balanced, elegant, classic, iconic style that is unquestionably up with the greatest wines on earth.   WA 98-100 (10/2018): A barrel sample, the 2016 Screaming Eagle is deep garnet-purple colored with bags of poise coming from a rather flamboyant vintage, showing beautiful perfume with notes of lilacs, rose hip tea, unsmoked cigars and spice cake with a core of warm redcurrants and Black Forest cake plus a touch of iron ore. The palate is medium to full-bodied, very tightly wound and with wonderful energy, structured with firm, very fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and earthy.
	2015	The Flight Proprietary Blend	$725	3
	WA 97 (4/2018): Very deep purple-black, the 2015 The Flight (a blend of 61% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon) opens with electric notes of black and blue fruit sparks—wild blueberries, fresh blackberries and crushed black plums—with nuances of lavender, violets, pencil shavings, tilled soil, yeast extract and a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, it hits the palate with tons of energy and freshness supported by firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with tons of fragrant earth layers.   JS 98 (5/2018): This is very tight grained and beautifully balanced with violets, crushed stones and a brambleberry character. Extremely aromatic and perfumed. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel of wonderfully fine and fresh tannins. A fantastic merlot-based red for the vintage. Structured yet so balanced. Beautiful now but better in 2021.   VM 95 (3/2018): The 2015 The Flight, Screaming Eagle's Merlot-based wine, is terrific. Powerful, deep and explosive, the 2015 is endowed with serious richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. The 2015 is an especially dark, somber wine. As often happens with young Merlot-based wines, The Flight appears to be going through a somewhat closed phase at the moment. That won't be an issue once the wine has a bit more time to come together. Time in the glass brings out hints of lavender, gravel, red cherry, mocha and espresso. The 2015 is going to be fascinating to follow for the next several decades. Antonio Galloni.