Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

The aromas of the 2015 Monsieur Étain Cabernet Sauvignon, which hails entirely from the J.J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, shows the signature Rutherford Bench aromas of fresh cherries (still on the tree), orange zest, star anise, baked plums, and a hint of toasty wheat. On the palate, the entry is broad, ripe, and complete, with velvety tannins and flavors of baked berries and warm spices. The bright natural fruit acidity compliments the juiciness apparent on the finish, which gives this wine a flourish of cassis and blackberry, slow to fade.

The 2015 vintage, California’s fourth season of drought, evidenced itself in vines which seemed weary of their thirsty roots and reluctant to bear more than just a small amount of fruit. This will long be remembered as one of the smaller vintages in Napa Valley, though the flavor intensity found in these wines cannot be underestimated. The fruit for the 2015 Monsieur Étain was harvested at night entirely by hand between September 4 and September 21, 2015. The wine was fermented on skins for approximately four weeks, then gently pressed and transferred to French oak barrels (80% new). After one year the blend was created and returned to barrels for a final six months in French oak, to allow integration between the separate vineyard blocks. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. A total of 416 cases were produced in late March, 2017.