Never-Before-Sold Bottle of 1991 Screaming Eagle Lands at Heritage Auctions

The exclusive winery's earliest vintage, produced only for friends and family, headlines Sept. 23 wine event DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (Sept. 8, 2022) — With its years-long waiting list and new releases that average $3,000 a bottle, Screaming Eagle is the toast of Napa Valley — and has been ever since its ascent to superstardom was launched by the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon that wine critic Robert Parker awarded a near-perfect 99 points. But before the '92, there was the '91. Made only in minuscule quantities, the vintage was bottled exclusively for friends and family of the winery and never commercially released. Though it is widely known throughout the industry that this vintage was produced, no bottle has ever come to market — until now. During Heritage Auctions' Wine Signature® Auction on Sept. 23 in Beverly Hills, Screaming Eagle admirers will have an opportunity to purchase a piece of Napa Valley history — and likely become the only person in the world with a complete vertical of Screaming Eagle — when a single bottle of the winery's 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon crosses the auction block for the first time. "I've been in the auction business for over 25 years now, and this is the first time I have ever heard of someone having this wine in their possession," says Frank Martell, Heritage Auctions' Senior Director of Fine & Rare Wines. "It is possibly the rarest single bottle ever to grace the auction stage." The bottle comes to Heritage via a relative of the Bartolucci family, who have been vineyard owners in Napa Valley since 1924, supplying grapes to wineries such as Caymus and others for many years. Marge and Bruno Bartolucci were friends with the ownership at Screaming Eagle and were given this bottle as a token of appreciation. It was perfectly stored in the family's cellar until it was recently gifted to the bottle's consignor. Heidi Barrett, the celebrity winemaker responsible for Screaming Eagle's 1992 vintage, looked at the bottle on offer and opined that this is a fine example. Though Barrett didn't make the wine herself, she helped decant and touch up the acidity and balance before its final packaging. "In situations like these, the immediate concern is authenticity," Martell says. "I approached Heidi Barrett hoping for some guidance and was thrilled that she found no issue with the bottle, so we have as close to an authoritative fingerprint on this as we can get. That makes it one of the most important finds of my career and one of the most important bottles in the history of Napa Valley." The 1991 Screaming Eagle is being offered without estimate and without reserve. The Sept. 23 auction also features bottles from two important collections. Deep in legend-caliber gems, the Roberts Collection, which includes 311 lots, is the last consignment from a once-great cellar. "This was a collection built on great taste, long before these wines commanded the kinds of prices and respect we see today," Martell says. "The Roberts Collection was assembled with passion and stored with great love." Highlights include two bottles of 1995 D'Auvenay Chevalier Montrachet (estimate: $20,000-$28,000) and five bottles of 1991 Clos de la Roche (estimate: $20,000-$28,000). Also on tap is the Carnegie Collection, 97 lots consigned by the estate of a passionate and notable collector who sought out only the bluest of blue chips. "Virtually every lot is a trophy, but these are long-held trophies," Martell says. "Typically, when we see a consignment like this, it would have been recently assembled, but this is a long-standing cellar of the highest quality." In addition to a bottle of 1985 Roumier Musigny (estimate: $10,000-$13,000), standout lots include a bottle of 1972 Romanee Conti (estimate: $8,000-$11,000), nine bottles of 1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc (estimate: $7,500-$9,500), a bottle of 1962 La Tache (estimate: $5,000-$7,000) and a bottle of 1961 Comte de Vogue Musigny (estimate: $3,000-$4,000). Featuring some of the rarest birds in modern winemaking, including gems such as the 1991 Screaming Eagle, the Roberts Collection's 1995 Chevalier Montrachet and the Carnegie Collection's 1985 Roumier Musigny, this auction teems with all-star lots. "This should be one of the most exciting wine auctions, even at a spectator level," Martell says, "just to see what happens when some of the most important wines ever bottled show up in the most aggressive market in the history of wine auctions." Other top bottles in the September auction include:   •  Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982 Pauillac Bottle (8) (estimate: $14,000-$18,000)   •  Grands Echezeaux 1990 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (12) (estimate: $30,000-$40,000)   •  La Tache 1988 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (11) (estimate: $32,500-$42,500)   •  La Tache 1990 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (5) (estimate: $30,000-$40,000)   •  Romanee Conti 1966 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (1) (estimate: $9,000-$12,000)   •  Clos de la Roche 1991 Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Ponsot Bottle (7) (estimate: $16,000-$21,000)   •  Bonnes Mares 1993 G. Roumier Bottle (4) (estimate: $12,000-$15,000)   •  Musigny 1991 G. Roumier Bottle (1) (estimate: $10,000-$13,000)   •  Chateauneuf du Pape 1989 Reserve, Chateau Rayas Bottle (7) (estimate: $14,000-$18,000)   •  Chateauneuf du Pape 1989 Reserve, Chateau Rayas Bottle (12) (estimate: $24,000-$32,500)   •  Chateauneuf du Pape 1990 Reserve, Chateau Rayas Bottle (12) (estimate: $24,000-$32,500) Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 1,500,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of five million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Rhonda Reinhart, Communications Specialist 214-409-1798 or RhondaR@HA.com