Ratings & Tasting Notes:

100 points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 12/2023
Moving to the Grand Vin 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, red wine simply doesn’t get any better, and I never cease to be amazed at what winemaker Celia Welch accomplishes with this incredible terroir. Deep ruby/plum-hued, with a kaleidoscope-like array of cr me de cassis, jammy blackberries, spicy oak, graphite, and smoked tobacco, with a kiss of background chocolaty nuances, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a flawlessly layered, concentrated, balanced profile that has to be tasted to be believed. Given its wealth of fruit and texture, as well as purity and balance, it already offers pleasure, yet smart money will give bottles 4-6 years in the cellar, count themselves lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following two decades.

98 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 01/2024
The 2021 Scarecrow is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard on the western edge of Rutherford, nestled back against the Mayacamas range. Boasting a fabulous nose of deep, dark, black cherries and earthy-spicy notes accented by a touch of mocha-like oak, this full-bodied wine is ripe, rich and velvety. There’s ample density and concentration, but the wine still retains a sense of freshness on the long, elegant finish. 98+ (JC)

98 points Vinous
Review Date: 12/2023
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with captivating aromatics that are immediately alluring. Blackberry, camphor, dried herbs, incense, licorice, chocolate and lavender are so suggestive. On the palate, the 2021 is dark, brooding and quite mysterious. There’s a somber intensity to the 2021 that is incredibly appealing. Harvest took place over three weeks from September 5 to 26, and yields were down by nearly 50%. The more positive news is that the 2021 is one of the very finest Scarecrows in some time. (AG)

97 points Wine Spectator
Review Date: 11/2024
This beautifully captures the vivid freshness of ’21’s fruit — boysenberry, blackberry and mulberry puree — while marrying it to a tug of Rutherford earth and an underpinning of iron, draping a beautiful gloss of anise, violet and apple wood–accented toast over everything. Showing great mouthfeel, definition and length, this wine offers it all. (JM)

Cult Wines International Notes:

Scarecrow is an extremely limited-production Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that holds legendary status among collectors worldwide. Its prestige is rooted in its exceptional lineage, stemming from the historic J.J. Cohn Estate vineyard in the heart of the Rutherford AVA.

The Legacy of J.J. Cohn The vineyard where Scarecrow is produced was originally part of the famed Inglenook Estate, purchased by John Daniel, Jr. The property was acquired by Hollywood executive John “J.J.” Cohn in 1943. This estate is home to some of the oldest continually farmed Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Napa Valley, many of which are believed to be original pre-Prohibition Inglenook clones. These ancient, dry-farmed vines yield very low quantities of highly concentrated, pedigreed fruit.

The Birth of Scarecrow In 2003, a portion of the Cohn vineyard was allocated to founding the Scarecrow label, named for the figure from The Wizard of Oz, a movie J.J. Cohn produced. The wine is a testament to the Rutherford Bench terroir, celebrated for producing powerful Cabernets that exhibit the distinct “Rutherford Dust” signature—a complex mineral and earth quality.

Winemaking and Style The wine is a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon known for its immense concentration, dense structure, and extraordinary elegance. It is crafted to be powerful yet balanced, displaying rich black fruit, floral notes, dark chocolate, and a silky, opulent texture that evolves over decades. Production is intentionally kept microscopic, contributing directly to its rarity and status as one of the world’s most sought-after and expensive wines.

Scarecrow releases a limited portfolio of wines, including the flagship Scarecrow and M. Étain. The estate also occasionally produces the highly sought-after Toto’s Opium Dream, crafted from the “Old Men” vines and often offered as a rare auction lot.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.