Scarecrow, 'M. Étain', Napa Valley, California, 2022

Overview of the Wine
The Scarecrow story begins in a patch of earth with a fabled past. The J.J. Cohn Estate, where Scarecrow grapes are born, borders what was once the legendary vineyard of Inglenook winemaker Gustave Niebaum, whose plantings blanketed more than 1,000 acres of the Napa Valley at the close of the 19th century.

John Daniel Jr. took the helm at Inglenook in 1939, determined to restore the label to pre-Prohibition standing and produce world-class Bordeaux-style wines. In 1945, Daniel convinced his neighbor, J.J. Cohn, to plant eighty acres of Cabernet vines on the 180-acre parcel Cohn had purchased a few years prior. The property served as a summer retreat for Cohn’s wife and their family. He had no ambitions to become a winemaker himself, but Daniel promised to buy his grapes, so Cohn planted vines. The rest, as they say, is history.

J.J. Cohn fruit figured prominently in Inglenook’s superlative Cabernet Sauvignons of the post-war era, and has more recently gone into wines of such renown as Opus One, Niebaum-Coppola, Duckhorn, Insignia and Etude.

J.J. Cohn Estate grapes are highly sought-after in part because Cohn bucked the trend, begun in the mid- 1960s, of replacing vines planted on St. George rootstock with the supposedly superior AxR#I hybrid. Over time, vines grafted onto this new stock proved highly vulnerable to phylloxera. But by then, virtually all of the old St. George vines in Napa had been destroyed. Only the original 1945 J.J. Cohn vines survived. These highly prized “Old Men” continue to produce uncommonly rich fruit—the hallmark of Scarecrow wine.

But the Scarecrow story doesn’t end there. This is more than a tale of enchanted ground and the exceptional wine that flows out of it. The Scarecrow story is a story, too, of an extraordinary family legacy. Joseph Judson Cohn was born in Harlem in 1895 to Russian immigrants. Cohn spent his childhood in dire poverty and never learned to prefer the taste of fresh bread over stale—even after he’d found great success in Hollywood.

A move west in the 1920s launched Cohn’s studio career. Highly resourceful and extremely capable, Cohn began as a bookkeeper, distinguished himself early and rose quickly through the ranks to become Chief of Production at MGM. His unofficial credo, “Nothing is impossible,” became the motto of his MGM staff. They knew him as a man who simply refused to take “No” for an answer.

During Hollywood’s golden age, Cohn was instrumental in the making of such film classics as Ben Hur, Gigi, Mutiny on the Bounty and, most beloved of all, The Wizard of Oz. Today, the Scarecrow label pays tribute to the endearing and indomitable character from that film. Scarecrow evokes a distinctly American agricultural icon and American optimism. And most importantly, Scarecrow honors the remarkable life of J.J. Cohn. Cohn lived to be 100 years old, spanning a defining century that he helped to shape. The people who labor with passion and conviction to bring you Scarecrow wine are proud to be part of his living legacy.

Winemaker
Celia Welch

Grape / Blend
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, and 4% Malbec

Origin
Monsieur Etain Cohn Ranch, Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This fully ripe Cabernet shows intense aromas of boysenberry, blueberry jam, black cherries, anise, a hint of basil, cardamom, and black pepper. Bold and structural at entry, the ripe fruit flavors dominate the palate from start to finish, with toasty vanilla French oak notes providing balance and deeper base notes. The tannins are pebble-like in quality, promising age-worthiness without detracting from the bright juicy flavors, and the finish showcases the complexity of this Bordeaux-style blend.

Harvested by hand in the pre-dawn hours between September 5 and 26, 2022, the fruit for this wine was fermented in small batches, kept on skins for about 14 days, then gently pressed and transferred to French oak barrels (approximately 60% new) and kept in oak barrels for about 19 months. The wine was produced without the use of fining or filtration. This final blend of estate fruit consists of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, and 4% Malbec. A total of 1385 cases were bottled in March, 2024.

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
While I've too often referred to this as a second wine, it has its own designated parcel and is a completely separate wine from the Grand Vin, which I think accounts for its singular character. Darker currants, tobacco, roasted herbs, graphite, and spicy, chocolatey notes all define this beauty, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a layered, round, velvety mouthfeel and a great finish. It's a brilliant, opulent, incredibly impressive 2022 that has so much character. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming 15-20 years. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% each of Petit Verdot and Merlot, and the balance Malbec, raised 19 months in 50% new barrels

94 Points - Wine Advocate
Scarecrow's 2022 M. Étain is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% each Merlot and Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. Scents of cedar, cherries and dusty earth mark the nose, while there's a nice tension to this wine's medium to full-bodied palate, with red berries and even some faint herbal streaks, plus darker berries and hints of earthiness. Supple, silky and easy to drink, with a hint of mocha on the finish, it may be enjoyed now and over the next decade or more.

Product size: 750ml