2016 Scarecrow M. Etain
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Tasting notes
Both of these Scarecrow releases from winemaker Celia Welch are truly gorgeous wines that I wish every reader could taste. Starting with the 2016 M. Etain, which is from a vintage compared to 1997 by Welch, it has a real Scarecrow vibe in its elegance and finesse as well as its fabulous bouquet of forest floor, leafy herbs, cassis, and floral nuances. With medium to full body, an endearing charm and accessibility, perfect balance, and a great finish, it’s a world-class wine in its own right and can be drunk today or cellared for two decades or more.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon M. Etain is once again superb. Pliant and nuanced, yet also understated in the way so many wines are in this vintage, the M. Etain is a winner. Dark cherry, plum, lavender, rose petal and menthol are nicely pushed forward. The purity of the fruit is simply striking.
The M. Étain comes mainly from a dry-farmed block at the toe of the lower block of the Scarecrow vineyard. The fruit is usually selected to be a little chewier and more fruit forward than Scarecrow. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec and 3% Merlot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon M. Étain is very deep purple-black in color and is a little youthfully mute to begin, opening out to reveal notes of crushed black and red currants, black cherries, warm plums and tilled black soil with hints of bay leaves, lavender, chargrill and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of pencil shavings. Full-bodied, rich, bold and seductive in the mouth, it has a firm frame of wonderfully ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness lifting the red and black fruit layers with a long, earth-laced finish. 850 cases were made.
About the producer
Scarecrow shot to fame with its debut 2003 vintage. The wine, named after the The Wizard of Oz character, is made exclusively from grapes from the J. J. Cohn vineyard in Napa’s Rutherford. Scarecrow is owned by Bret Lopez (J. J. Cohn’s grandson) and is very much a rarity in Napa.