Scarecrow Wine (Winemaking, 8 Best Cult Cabernet Bottles 2024)

The Scarecrow wine estate is named after one of Hollywood’s most beloved characters - the Scarecrow - from the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. 

This California winery offers highly collectible Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are produced only in small quantities and enjoy a cult following.     

Let’s uncover everything about this remarkable estate, including its origins, winemaking practices, and the best Scarecrow wines for your cellar in 2024.  We’ll also explore an easy way for you to invest in these collectible wines.

A Quick Look at Scarecrow Wine

Located in Napa Valley, Scarecrow produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon varietals that are often compared to the finest Grand Cru wines.  

This Napa estate produces two Bordeaux-style wines: 

• Scarecrow: The namesake Grand Vin - a 100% full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon varietal
• M. Etain: M.Ètain, the second wine, is a lighter-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The estate was established as a 180-acre Cabernet Sauvignon plantation in the Rutherford AVA appellation. 

Let’s take a closer look at the fascinating history of this estate.

The Origin of Scarecrow Wine

In 1945, MGM Studios’ chief of production Joseph Judson Cohn (who produced the iconic movie “The Wizard of Oz”) purchased a land plot in Rutherford. It was named the JJ Cohn estate. 

John Daniel Jr, the great-nephew of Inglenook winemaker Gustave Niebaum and then-owner of the Inglenook winery, persuaded Cohn to plant Cabernet Sauvignon grape vines on his estate. Even though Cohn didn’t want to be a winemaker himself, he agreed to plant the Cabernet vines after Daniel promised to buy his grapes.

Daniel started sourcing grapes from Cohn’s vineyard. Very soon, the J.J. Cohn estate vineyard became a leading supplier of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to other Napa Valley winemakers. 

It supplied grapes to celebrated winemakers like Inglenook, Opus One, Insignia, Robert Mondavi, Joseph Phelps, and Beaulieu Vineyard.

After J.J. Cohn’s death in 1996, Francis Ford Coppola (owner of Rubicon Estate Winery) bought 140 acres of the vineyard. Bret Lopez (Cohn’s grandson) also bought 25 acres of the land including the estate building and 2 acres planted with the original 1945 Cabernet vines. 

Lopez changed the estate name from J.J. Cohn Estate to ‘Scarecrow’ after his grandfather’s favorite character in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

In the 2000s, Lopez decided to produce his own wines from the old vines while also supplying Scarecrow grapes to other wineries. 

The first eponymous vintage of the revamped estate was released in 2003, spearheaded by winemaker Celia Welch.

Read on to discover the viticulture and winemaking process that makes these wines so unique.

Scarecrow Wine Viticulture and Winemaking

The estate vineyard covers an area of 25 acres of Cabernet vines divided into the three blocks - House, Hillside, and Old Men (a vineyard planted exclusively with old vines.) 

The annual wine production ranges from 400 to 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

Here’s a glimpse into the winemaking process:

• Grand Vin: This red wine is made from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon grape vine plantings. The wine is aged in new French oak barrels for a year. Then it’s blended with fermented wines from other blocks and aged again in oak barrels for 10 more months. 
• M. Etain: This wine is produced just like the Grand Vin but without the second aging period of 10 months. It is fermented and aged in French oak vats for 16 months. The M.Etain wine is bottled unfiltered. Its freshness and lightness are reminiscent of a Bordeaux-style Merlot or Pinot Noir.

8 Best Scarecrow Wines to Buy in 2024

Here’s a list of some of our most preferred Scarecrow wines for 2024:

1. 2014 Scarecrow 'Premiere Napa Valley' Toto's Opium Dream Scene Cabernet Sauvignon 

This full-bodied Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a dream come true for any wine lover. This sweet wine is packed with tasting notes of black raspberries, black cherry, caramel, and fantastically ripe tannins. Once opened, the bottle exudes gorgeous floral notes with hints of warm cassis and spice aromas. 

Price of 2014 Scarecrow 'Premiere Napa Valley' Toto's Opium Dream Scene Cabernet Sauvignon: $5,001

2. 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

This deep garnet purple Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon scored a perfect 100 from Robert Parker of Wine Advocate. It has gravelly minerality with a nose of dried mint, licorice, warm cassis, and baked plums. The palate offers notes of red fruit and black currants.

Price of 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon: $1,164

3. 2013 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

This Napa Cab red wine boasts a bouquet of pencil shavings, fragrant soil, warm cassis, and licorice aromas. The wine is rich and full-bodied with tasting notes of extracted chocolate, black cherry, and baking spices. Robert Parker rated this vintage a perfect 100.

Price of 2013 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon: $1,077

4. 2004 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

This deep garnet purple California wine is full-bodied with gorgeous floral notes of red roses and gravelly minerality. It has fantastically ripe tannins and a palate of black currants, baked plums, and red fruit.

Price of 2004 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon: $993

5. 2018 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2018 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon vintage has ripe blackberry, pencil shavings, and fragrant soil aromas. It presents a vibrant palate of blackcurrant pastilles, blue fruit, mocha, and vanilla. 

Price of 2018 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon: $957

6. 2016 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

This California wine has seamless freshness and a concentrated palate of blackcurrant pastilles and red fruit with some minerality. It offers a bouquet of addictive warm cassis, baked plums, and dried mint aromas.

Price of  2016 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon: $949

7. 2013 Scarecrow 'M. Etain' Cabernet Sauvignon

This classic Napa Cab has an intense nose of red roses, blueberry pie, and baking spices. The delectable aromas are complemented by an exciting flavor profile of fresh fruit. 

Price of 2013 Scarecrow 'M. Etain' Cabernet Sauvignon: $403

8. 2014 Scarecrow 'M. Etain' Cabernet Sauvignon

This full-bodied Scarecrow wine has firm tannins and spicy aromas of anise, vanilla, and clove offset by traces of fresh raspberry. The palate of this second wine is equally remarkable, with tasting notes of cocoa, cherry, and black raspberries.

Price of 2014 Scarecrow 'M. Etain' Cabernet Sauvignon: $322

How to Serve Scarecrow Wine

The ideal temperature to serve Scarecrow wine is 15.5 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). This will enhance the wine’s seamless freshness. 

The ideal temperature to serve Scarecrow wine is 15.5 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). This will enhance the wine’s seamless freshness. 

While young vintage wines need about an hour or three of decanting, older wines can be served quicker. For example, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the bottle with intense floral aromas of red roses on opening, which soften after one or two hours of decanting.

Scarecrow wine is an excellent companion to hearty meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, chicken, Asian dishes, and seafood.

Now, are these exquisite high-quality wines investment-worthy? 

Let’s evaluate.

Investing in Scarecrow Wines

Given their limited production and exclusivity, the Scarecrow wines have shown a significant appreciation in value over the years. The average six-year (2010-’15) appreciation rate for these wines has been an astonishing 80%.

In 2015, within just 12 years of its operations, Scarecrow became the second top price performer year on year on Liv-ex (after Screaming Eagle), with a price growth of 15%. 

The 2015 vintage earned a perfect 99 score and sold out almost immediately after its release. Other Scarecrow wines with similar enviable scores from Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate include the 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2014 vintages.

The highly coveted Scarecrow wine has also successively dominated many Premiere Napa Valley Auctions. 

For instance, at the April 2009 Premiere Napa Valley auction, a five-case lot of Scarecrow wine was sold for $80,000. 

Two years later, Tokyo-based wine producer Ichizo Nakagawa bought five cases of Scarecrow Wine for a record-breaking $125,000 at another Napa Valley auction. 

In 2014, the 2012 Scarecrow Toto’s Opium Dream: Scene III Cabernet Sauvignon sold for the unbelievable price of $4,333 per bottle at the trade auction Premiere Napa Valley. 

Now, here’s the challenge. It is often difficult to even find a retailer selling these wines. Scarecrow wines are mainly sold to a small (“registered”) network of US buyers. So it’s very difficult to find it in the secondary market. 

So, how do you get hold of these sought-after wines? 

Vinovestcan help you build a high-performance portfolio of Scarecrow and other collectible wines.

Buy Scarecrow and Other Collectible Wines Through Vinovest

Vinovest is an onlinewine investment platform that helps you build a portfolio of fine wines that periodically outrank the market. With Vinovest, you can buy, store, and sell authentic wines from premium wine brands.

And if you would rather have your favorite wines delivered to your doorstep, Vinovest will ensure hassle-free shipping too.

How Does It Work?

1. Sign up with your name, e-mail address, and password.
2. Decide your investing style by answering a few quick questions. 
3. Add a minimum balance of $1,000 to your account.
4. Vinovest’s algorithm will find you the best investment wines to create a high-value wine portfolio.

Why should you use Vinovest?

Benefits

There are multiple advantages for wine investors:

1. Easy Buying and Selling Using AI-driven Technology

Vinovest’s Artificial Intelligence-based platform makes it super easy to buy and sell collectibles like Scarecrow, fine Bordeaux, Burgundy, and other wines from all around the world. 

2. Best Prices

You get the best available price for your favorite wines. That’s because Vinovest only buys authentic wines directly from trusted winemakers, wine exchanges, and wine merchants, eliminating retail mark-up.

3. Curated Portfolio by an Expert Wine Advisory Team

Not a wine expert? No worries! 

Vinovest’s specialized team of sommeliers and data scientists will assist you in building a high-performing portfolio of premium wines.    

4. Authenticity and Provenance 

Every wine you buy through Vinovest is authentic since they trace its provenance even before you place your order.

5. Optimal Storage

Vinovest stores your premium wines in bonded warehouses. The storage facilities maintain optimal temperature, humidity, light, and vibration levels round the clock. 

So, you essentially access a wine cellar without enduring the headache of maintaining one yourself.

6. Comprehensive Insurance and Security

Vinovest provides you with a comprehensive insurance policy at market price. In addition, its storage amenities are equipped with round-the-clock security cameras that keep a close eye on your wine collection. 

7. Low Overall Costs and Tax Advantages

Vinovest charges an annual fee of 2.5% (1.9% for portfolios over $50,000). This includes the costs of wine buying and selling, fraud alert, storage, insurance, and management of your portfolio. 

These high-end wine storage facilities don’t charge you excise duty or VAT either.

Secure a Bottle of Exclusive Scarecrow Wine for Your Cellar

Scarecrow wines are some of the most sought-after among the cult wines of Napa Valley. 

But, these vintage wines of Scarecrow estate are rare to come by, even in exclusive wine clubs and specialized wine stores.

So if you want to add a Scarecrow to your wine collection, the easiest way is to invest through Vinovest. 

Sign up now and get ready for potentially stellar returns on your investment!