Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
(Rutherford, Napa Valley, California) - [WA 100] [DM 99] [JD 98+] [VM 98]

100 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Scarecrow is one for the ages, built around a core of dry-farmed vines planted in 1945. Slightly herbal nuances weave in and out of perfectly ripened black cherries, underscored by hints of crushed stone. And while the wine is full-bodied, creamy and seductive, it offers incredible opulence without any sense of heaviness, supported effortlessly by fine-grained tannins. Hints of licorice, mocha and black olives on the finish only add to the web of complex flavors and textures, punctuated by tremendous length.

Scarecrow features some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Napa Valley and a beautiful historic home tucked against the backdrop of the Mayacamas in western Rutherford. Today, the property is owned by Bret Lopez, grandson of movie executive J.J. Cohn, who originally purchased the acreage as a summer retreat for his family. The oldest existing vines were planted at the request of neighbor John Daniels (Inglenook) in 1945, who guaranteed Cohn he would purchase the fruit. All of the fruit was sold through the 2002 vintage, with the first Scarecrow coming from 2003. Drink 2027-2050.

99 Points - Decanter:
The 2023 vintage of Scarecrow is a blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot, sourced entirely from the J.J. Cohn estate in Rutherford. Aged for 21 months in 70% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, it is, quite simply, drop-dead gorgeous in 2023. The wine is seamless, propelled by profoundly mineral-rich tannins and extraordinary flavour intensity. Super-dark black and red fruits dominate, delivered with striking fragrance – Luxardo cherry, spiced plum, and the sensation of biting into perfectly ripe stone fruit as the flavours burst across the palate. There is a tactile crunch of cherry-skin tannin, the structure deeply layered and dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder and wrapped in rich loamy earth. Notes of salted dark chocolate and crushed cocoa nibs build through an immensely long, full-bodied finish. When asked whether it recalled great vintages of the past, winemaker Celia Welch suggested it may share something with 2013 in its rich, generous tannins, while also nodding to 2007 – though here rendered fresher and more vibrant in fruit profile.

98+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
Dense plum and purple-hued, the absolutely sensational 2023 Scarecrow offers a rich, powerful, inward bouquet of black and blue fruits, smoke, tobacco, and graphite. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon from very old vines in Rutherford and aged 22 months in 70% new French oak, this incredibly powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated Scarecrow has a brilliant mid-palate, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and velvety tannins. This voluptuous, expansive, incredibly seductive effort offers pleasure even today, yet deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will keep for 30-40 years. Drink 2025-2065. (Drink between 2025-2065)

98 Points - Vinous:
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a total stunner. Deep and vertical in build, this is going to need many years to be at its most expressive. Iron, chalk, mint, blood orange, espresso, licorice and pomegranate are all seamless in the glass. Potent tannins kick off the mid-palate and finish. (Drink between 2028-2038)