Given the small production of Screaming Eagle’s Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (around 1000 cases per year) and its longstanding allocation model, little finds its way onto the open market. Across all vintages (though naturally skewed towards the more recent), we have found fewer than 100 12×75 cases currently for sale by stockholders.
The 2020 vintage is most abundant on stockholder lists, while the 2019 is more commonly offered by brokerages.
Where does the stock lie?
Across vintages, US merchants are the largest stockholders of Screaming Eagle, followed by the UK and the EU.
Where’s demand coming from?
UK buyers constitute the majority of secondary market demand and buying for Screaming Eagle and have taken c.50% of its purchased value this year. European demand and buying follows in second place, driven by Switzerland.
With US buyers accounting for almost half of Opus One trade this year, their relative absence in Screaming Eagle’s secondary market is striking. Presumably, this is a consequence of Screaming Eagle’s distribution method, with US private clients receiving allocations at much lower prices and it frequently being sold at US-based auctions. This marks a stark contrast to Opus One’s release via La Place de Bordeaux.
Price outlook
Prices have fallen substantially since the turn of the market, most older vintages now trading below their 2020 lows. In recent months, however its bid:offer ratio has ticked up, broaching 0.5 in August.
More frequently traded vintages have seen their prices stabilise over Q3:
The 2022 is the top-traded vintage on Liv-ex by value year-to-date. Its trade prices dipped to £16,420 per 12×75 in September but have now moved upwards beyond the £17,500 mark matching auction prices.
Auctions and Liv-ex trades of Screaming Eagle 2022
The 2021 (second top-traded of the year) has garnered slightly higher prices, likely thanks to its 100-point score from Galloni. Earlier this year, trade and auction prices fell to lows of £20,000 and £17,500 respectively. Both have now risen slightly.
Auctions and Liv-ex trades of Screaming Eagle 2021
Though relatively high volumes of the 2019 vintage are available on lists and via brokers, it trades infrequently on the secondary market, instead selling often at US auctions. Like its peers, it has seen a recent (albeit slight) increase in trade and auction prices.
Auctions and Liv-ex trades of Screaming Eagle 2019
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real-time activity of Liv-ex’s 620+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £140m of bids and offers across 20,000 wines.
