100 Wine Advocate

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Scarecrow hits the ground running with bold expressions of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries plus hints of dried herbs, tilled soil and crushed rocks with a fragrant undercurrent of Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with layer upon layer of tightly packed mineral-sparked black fruit flavors, framed by super plush tannins and absolutely seamless freshness, finishing long, long, long. This expression of the venerable J.J. Cohn vineyard—including vines planted in 1945 by John Daniel and dry farmed—is pure magic. 2,000 cases were made. (LPB) (10/2021)

100 Jeb Dunnuck

Pure perfection from Napa Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is, as always, all Cabernet Sauvignon from an incredible site in Rutherford that spent 21 months in 70% new French oak. Incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, darker currants, smoke, tobacco, and assorted floral notes all define the bulk of the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and perfect balance. This is such a magical site, and this wine consistently checks in with the greatest wines of the world. It already offers pleasure yet should have 30 years of overall longevity. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch and the team at Scarecrow. (3/2022)

99 Vinous

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon towers in this vintage. A Cabernet of majestic proportion and soaring intensity, the 2019 dazzles from start to finish. The pedigree of this Rutherford site comes through loud and clear. Wild cherry, leather, blood orange, tobacco and earthy nuances lend complexity, but it is really the textures and overall balance that are most impressive. This luxurious, opulent Cabernet is a real head-turner and without question one of the highlights of the year. Don't miss it. (AG) (1/2022)

96 Wine Spectator

A powerful Cabernet, with a core of mulled plum, black currant and blackberry fruit that will take some time to fully unwind; when it does unfurl, the wine will have a backdrop of warm loam, tar, maduro tobacco and roasted cedar to nicely offset the fruit. (JM) (10/2022)

Winemaker Tasting Note

Growing season 2019 gave us a relatively dry, moderate winter with plentiful rain in early Spring, giving the vines great energy during their grand period of growth. Summer was typical for Napa Valley, with a few moderate heat spells punctuating an otherwise fairly temperate July and August. Warmer temps in mid-September assisted the grapes in their journey toward full maturity, with most of the harvest for the Cohn Estate occurring between mid-September and mid-October.

The 2019 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon captures this season beautifully. The aromas in the glass immediately suggest purple-black notes of currant, blackberry and boysenberry, with toasty vanilla and spice playing supporting roles. Bright, fresh and somewhat restrained at entry, the mid-palate offers a blend of fruit, spice, toasty oak and cedar notes. While the finish offers plenty of structure to age beautifully, the plush tannins offer the warmth and texture of cashmere.

Harvested completely by hand at night, between September 25 through October 21, 2019, this wine is entirely grown on the J.J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley. The fruit was destemmed, optically sorted, and fermented in small batches. After approximately 21 days on skins the wine was gently pressed and transferred to French Oak barrels, of which roughly 80% were new barrels. The wine was kept in these barrels for about 10 months, then assessed for quality before the first assemblage was created in summer 2020. The blend was finalized in January 2021. After a total of approximately 22 months in French oak, the wine was bottled in late July 2021 without fining or filtration. A total of 2000 cases were produced.