Scarecrow Wine

Rutherford's Old Vine Cult Superstar

Napa Valley is beloved for its tantalizing history, a near-theatrical drama of peaks and valleys from Prohibition to Judgement of Paris to phylloxera enriching its narrative. Cult wines have a place along this timeline, but so rarely can a cult wine reflect a monumental story of its own, a microcosm of its California history. Scarecrow released its first vintage in the 2000s, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 2003. While two decades worth of critically acclaimed production is reason enough for any wine to maintain cult status throughout the years, Scarecrow’s story starts much earlier.

The estate was initially established in 1945 by J.J. Cohn, a legend in early Hollywood when black-and-white movies were still very much the norm. Cohn was head of production at MGM Studios in 1939 when he helped pushed forward The Wizard of Oz. Unbeknownst to him, Cohn’s 1945 purchase of a modest plot of land from yet another California icon, Gustave Niebaum’s Inglenook, would someday produce grapes that would set new records in California auction houses (Premiere Napa Valley Wine Auction has yet to surpass the $260,000 record bid for 60 bottles of Scarecrow in 2014).

What J.J. Cohn also didn’t know at the time was that these vines would become some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in America. The St. George rootstock used in the vineyards would become a rarity and an unexpected guardian from a 1980s outbreak of phylloxera, when the majority of vines were planted to more susceptible rootstock. Today, this tiny 2-acre vineyard from which Scarecrow is sourced is pushing 80 years of age, and lovingly referred to as “Old Man” vines.

Known for the concentration of their aromatics, these grapes were highly sought-after on the open market finding their way into bottlings of Opus One and Insignia – even Inglenook was buying grapes from its former property! It wasn’t until the early 2000s, after decades of selling this prized fruit to others, that Bret Lopez, J.J. Cohn’s grandson and current owner, decided to redirect the old vine Cabernet into Scarecrow, a tribute to his grandfather’s greatest Hollywood accomplishment.

Over the years, these wines have consistently earned their place amongst Napa’s top names with many 100-point vintages, including the 2013, 2018, and 2021, with 2014 receiving double! The 2003 inaugural vintage bottlings are highly collectable while our featured 2004 vintage is perfect for any 20 year celebration. These luxury keepsakes do not have to be reserved for special occasions – Scarecrow’s second label, M. Étain —  a cheeky French reference to the Tin Man (Monsieur Étain translating to “Mr. Tin”) is a more approachable, juicy style that can be enjoyed at a younger age, and a lower point.