2017 Scarecrow

2017 Scarecrow

Cabernet Sauvignon

America / California / Napa Valley / Rutherford

¥168,500
JD 97
RP 97
V 97
Size:
Quantity:

Availability: 2

2017 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, USA

HARVEST NOTES
The 2017 harvest notes are a testament to the hard work, dedication, skill and extraordinary intuitive decisions made by Michael Wolf, Celia Welch and their crews at the J.J. Cohn Estate.

Vineyard Manager Michael Wolf:

The 2017 vintage is magnificent, and as in 2011, completely unscathed by the tricky turns of Mother Nature.

  • 2017 marked the end of a multi-year, drought. Rainfall in Rutherford was 43.5 inches, a 21% increase from the previous year, and a 700% increase from the scant 6 inches that fell in 2013.
  • The wet soils contributed to vigorous early season vine growth, presenting challenges for the crews trying to keep up with canopy management, which is crucial both for providing a good environment during bloom, and for disease control.
  • On June 11th, there was an unusual weather system which dramatically dropped temperatures and produced hail in most parts of the valley. The strong, well-positioned canopies at J.J. Cohn protected the fruit, and there was no damage.
  • The same canopy that protected the fruit from hail also provided protection from the searing weekly heat which followed. At J.J. Cohn we are blessed with a strong water source, and were able to use overhead sprinklers to raise the humidity and lower the temperature, essentially negating the impacts of the heat.
  • Harvest began on September 5th and proceeded in a typical, orderly way, with overall yields slightly below historical averages, at 2.86 tons/acre. We finished up on October 6th, 2 days before the start of the fires.
  • 2017 was the most challenging growing season since 2011. Thankfully, the natural attributes of the site, the vineyard architecture, and the people involved made it possible to harvest each of the blocks at their optimal maturity.


TASTING NOTES

Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2017 Scarecrow:

The 2017 growing season started out with a plethora of precipitation, beginning in mid-Winter and continuing well into mid-Spring. The vineyards in Napa Valley responded with abundant shoot growth, energetic sap flow to leaves and the emerging clusters, and an overall well-balanced vine with nicely formed clusters.

Summer saw Napa Valley-typical weather with uniformly warm days punctuated with warm spells, especially in late August and early September. These events assisted the vines in achieving a nicely balanced maturity in late September, ideal timing for this vineyard to mature the seed and skin tannins while the evenings are still warm.

The 2017 Cabernet shows aromas of fresh cherries, aromatic cedar, bright raspberries, and hints of candied violets and cocoa notes. On the palate, the entry is broad, soft and balanced, showing serious weight but with mature tannins that add volume without adding a coarse texture. The finish displays plums, bright juicy fresh fruit, and a fresh floral/lavender lift.

Harvested completely by hand at night, between September 15 through October 6, 2017, 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 24 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 final Scarecrow blend was created in Winter 2018. Returned to rest in oak for an additional 10 months, the wine was bottled in late July 2019 without fining or filtration. A total of 1,450 cases were produced.


JD 97

Jeb Dunnuck

(Rating 97+). The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is more closed and backward, yet has stunning currants, roasted coffee, smoked tobacco, and gravelly minerality and shows more violet and floral notes with time in the glass. Full-bodied, powerful, and structured on the palate, this is an elegant, tight, closed Scarecrow that's going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It's going to age beautifully, though. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck. Issue date: January 2020. Drinking window: 2024 - 2048.
RP 97

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Scarecrow opens with notions of warm cassis, baked plums, black raspberries and boysenberries with accents of dried mint, pencil shavings and fragrant soil plus a waft of cast iron pan. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, it has a solid backbone of fantastically ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Issue date: October 2019. Drinking window: 2022 - 2050.
V 97

Vinous

The 2017 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning. Seamless on the palate, with remarkable depth and richness, the 2017 has so much to offer. Black cherry jam, blackberry, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol build in a rich, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon that hits all the right notes. Best of all, the 2017 will drink well with only minimal cellaring. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni. Issue date: September 2019. Drinking window: 2024 - 2037.

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FREE SHIPPING INSURANCE: We provide FREE carrier insurance for lost or damaged shipments (per carrier terms and conditions.)

FREE WINE STORAGE: We provide FREE 6 Months wine cellar storage from date of purchase. Please choose this option at checkout and we will coordinate shipping for a later date.

SHIPPING: During warm summer weather, we recommend to only ship within the United States with Same Day or Next Day Air service to protect the wines from environmental damage. If you would like to waive this protection by shipping Ground, we will request a waiver be signed.

PACKAGING: Our premium wines need optimal temperature consistency, therefore are packaged in EPS foam shippers with gel pack (when needed) and shipped only during ideal weather temperatures.

For OWC (Original Wooden Case) orders, wine bottles will be removed from case and shipped inside a foam shipper box for safety (unless otherwise requested). The wooden case will be shipped separately at Ground service. If faster service is necessary please contact us.

WEATHER HOLD: In adverse temperature conditions, we reserve the right to withhold shipment until ideal temperatures return unless we receive explicit instructions via email to release the wines, voiding any guarantee. We will contact you if a hold is necessary.

FULFILLMENT: Shipments are via UPS.

  • Orders received Monday - Thursday before 2:00 p.m. will typically ship the same day.
  • Orders received Thursday 2:00 p.m. ~ Sunday will ship on Monday.

DELIVERY:

  • Same Day service within Los Angeles Metro area may be available if order is placed before noon, but not guaranteed. Please contact us directly at (626)714-7006 to facilitate expedited service.
  • During extreme temperatures, all shipments are recommended for Next Day Air.

Adult Signature: By law, all shipments of alcohol must be received and authorized by an adult. Our delivery carriers will not release packages without an adult signature and additional charges may be incurred if the package requires withholding or redirection.

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We ship within the United States to: Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), and Wyoming (WY).

  • CRITICAL REVIEWS
  • WINEMAKER NOTES
JD 97

Jeb Dunnuck

(Rating 97+). The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is more closed and backward, yet has stunning currants, roasted coffee, smoked tobacco, and gravelly minerality and shows more violet and floral notes with time in the glass. Full-bodied, powerful, and structured on the palate, this is an elegant, tight, closed Scarecrow that's going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It's going to age beautifully, though. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck. Issue date: January 2020. Drinking window: 2024 - 2048.
RP 97

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Scarecrow opens with notions of warm cassis, baked plums, black raspberries and boysenberries with accents of dried mint, pencil shavings and fragrant soil plus a waft of cast iron pan. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, it has a solid backbone of fantastically ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Issue date: October 2019. Drinking window: 2022 - 2050.
V 97

Vinous

The 2017 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning. Seamless on the palate, with remarkable depth and richness, the 2017 has so much to offer. Black cherry jam, blackberry, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol build in a rich, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon that hits all the right notes. Best of all, the 2017 will drink well with only minimal cellaring. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni. Issue date: September 2019. Drinking window: 2024 - 2037.

2017 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, USA

HARVEST NOTES
The 2017 harvest notes are a testament to the hard work, dedication, skill and extraordinary intuitive decisions made by Michael Wolf, Celia Welch and their crews at the J.J. Cohn Estate.

Vineyard Manager Michael Wolf:

The 2017 vintage is magnificent, and as in 2011, completely unscathed by the tricky turns of Mother Nature.

  • 2017 marked the end of a multi-year, drought. Rainfall in Rutherford was 43.5 inches, a 21% increase from the previous year, and a 700% increase from the scant 6 inches that fell in 2013.
  • The wet soils contributed to vigorous early season vine growth, presenting challenges for the crews trying to keep up with canopy management, which is crucial both for providing a good environment during bloom, and for disease control.
  • On June 11th, there was an unusual weather system which dramatically dropped temperatures and produced hail in most parts of the valley. The strong, well-positioned canopies at J.J. Cohn protected the fruit, and there was no damage.
  • The same canopy that protected the fruit from hail also provided protection from the searing weekly heat which followed. At J.J. Cohn we are blessed with a strong water source, and were able to use overhead sprinklers to raise the humidity and lower the temperature, essentially negating the impacts of the heat.
  • Harvest began on September 5th and proceeded in a typical, orderly way, with overall yields slightly below historical averages, at 2.86 tons/acre. We finished up on October 6th, 2 days before the start of the fires.
  • 2017 was the most challenging growing season since 2011. Thankfully, the natural attributes of the site, the vineyard architecture, and the people involved made it possible to harvest each of the blocks at their optimal maturity.


TASTING NOTES

Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2017 Scarecrow:

The 2017 growing season started out with a plethora of precipitation, beginning in mid-Winter and continuing well into mid-Spring. The vineyards in Napa Valley responded with abundant shoot growth, energetic sap flow to leaves and the emerging clusters, and an overall well-balanced vine with nicely formed clusters.

Summer saw Napa Valley-typical weather with uniformly warm days punctuated with warm spells, especially in late August and early September. These events assisted the vines in achieving a nicely balanced maturity in late September, ideal timing for this vineyard to mature the seed and skin tannins while the evenings are still warm.

The 2017 Cabernet shows aromas of fresh cherries, aromatic cedar, bright raspberries, and hints of candied violets and cocoa notes. On the palate, the entry is broad, soft and balanced, showing serious weight but with mature tannins that add volume without adding a coarse texture. The finish displays plums, bright juicy fresh fruit, and a fresh floral/lavender lift.

Harvested completely by hand at night, between September 15 through October 6, 2017, 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 24 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 final Scarecrow blend was created in Winter 2018. Returned to rest in oak for an additional 10 months, the wine was bottled in late July 2019 without fining or filtration. A total of 1,450 cases were produced.


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