Scarecrow (wine)

{{Short description|California wine producer}} {{Infobox Winery | winery_name = Scarecrow | winery_logo = | location_city = Rutherford, California | location_country = United States | appellation = Rutherford AVA | former_name =J. J. Cohn Estate | other_labels=  | year_founded = 1945 | first_vintage = 2003 | key_people = Bret Lopez (owner)<br />Celia Welch (winemaker)<br />Michael L. Wolf (vineyard manager) | parent_company = | cases_per_year =400 | signature_wine = Scarecrow | varietal1 =Toto's Opium Dream Scene 4 (Cabernet Sauvignon) | varietal2 = | varietal3 = | varietal4 = | varietal5 = | varietal6 = | varietal7 = | varietal8 = | varietal9 = | varietal10 = | other_product1= | other_product2= | other_product3= | other_product4= | other_product5= | homepage= {{URL|https://www.scarecrowwine.com/}} | distribution=Mailing list only | tasting= Invitation only }}

'''Scarecrow''', historically the '''J.J. Cohn Estate''', is a California wine producer. The estate is located in Rutherford, CA, within the Rutherford AVA in the Napa Valley AVA zone.

==History== In 1943, Joseph Judson Cohn, an MGM executive producer of films such as ''The Wizard of Oz'' acquired the {{convert|195|acre|ha|adj=on}} property of Rutherford land adjacent to Inglenook Winery founded by Gustave Niebaum.<ref name=sfc06>Murphy, Linda, ''San Francisco Chronicle'' (May 25, 2006). [https://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/The-brains-behind-Scarecrow-A-onetime-Hollywood-2496191.php The brains behind Scarecrow]</ref><ref name=wsjl>Laube, James, ''Wine Spectator'' (May 15, 2008). [http://www.winespectator.com/wssaccess/show/id/40915 A Scarecrow With a Soul]</ref> In 1945 he was persuaded by his neighbor in charge of Inglenook since 1939, John Daniel Jr., to plant grape vines on his estate. {{convert|80|acre|ha}} were planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, and the fruit from the Cohn estate was sold to Inglenook.<ref name=sfc06/><ref name=wsjl/>

In later years, the fruit from the J.J. Cohn Estate was sold to Opus One, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery and Beaulieu Vineyard.<ref name=sfc06/><ref name=wsjl/> In 1990s, a vine pest Phylloxera led to most Napa vineyards being replanted, but the root stock at Scarecrow's fields survived.<ref name=worth/> Cohn died in 1996 aged 100, and the heirs put the then {{convert|85|acre|ha|adj=on}} property up for sale to resolve the inheritance dispute, and a value estimation at $4 million in 1996 rose to $33.6 million by 2002,<ref name=wsjl/> when Francis Ford Coppola of the Rubicon Estate Winery eventually purchased the property in a package deal with Cohn's grandson Bret Lopez.<ref name=sfc06/> Coppola got ca. {{convert|140|acre|ha}} including most of the vineyard with {{convert|60|acre|m2|adj=pre|planted}}, while Lopez and his partner Mimi DeBlasio received the property buildings, 25 acres of partially planted vineyards and {{convert|2|acre|ha}} of the original 1945 Cabernet vines.<ref name=wsjl/>

The wine's name was decided upon by Lopez and DeBlasio in honor of Cohn.<ref name=sfc06/><ref name=wsjl/> Following the engagement of winemaker Celia Welch, the debut vintage of 2003 became successful,<ref name=wsjl/><ref name=sfc08>Bonné, Jon, ''San Francisco Chronicle'' (May 30, 2008). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100205153833/http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-05-30/wine/17155540_1_luna-vineyards-cult-wine-case-production The new cult wines: 6 wines to covet]</ref><ref>Parker, Robert M. Jr., ''The Wine Advocate'' (#168, December 2000) "2003 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon"</ref> while later vintages have rapidly established Scarecrow as a cult wine.<ref name=sfc08/> The winery's second release sold out in 16 hours, and the following year sales were staggered, with repeat customers first on the list.<ref name=sfate/> ''SFGate'' said in 2008 that Scarecrow had a yearly output of around 400 cases, calling it a cult wine similar to the Screaming Eagle winery.<ref name=sfate/> At that time, it remained owned by Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio. It had a mailing list of around 8,000 people, offering around 400 cases of the 2005 vintage that year for $150 a bottle.<ref name=sfate/>

At the April 2009 Premiere Napa Valley auction, a lot of five cases of Scarecrow was sold for $80,000.<ref name=g&m>Crosariol, Beppi, ''The Globe and Mail'' (February 25, 2009). [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article9922.ece The $1,300 bottle: Petrus? Nope, it's a Scarecrow]</ref> At the February 2011 Premiere Napa Valley auction, a lot of five cases of Scarecrow Wine was sold for $125,000, breaking previous PNV records. The lot was purchased by Ichizo Nakagawa, owner of Tokyo-based Nakagawa Wine Company.<ref>L. Pierce Carson, ''Napa Valley Register'' (February 26, 2011). [http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_b01bed72-4228-11e0-ba5b-001cc4c002e0.html Records fall at Premiere wine auction]</ref> In 2017 at the Premiere Napa Valley wine auction hosted by Napa Valley Vintners, five cases of Scarecrow, dubbed Toto's Opium Dream Scene 4, the wine was Cabernet Sauvignon from 72-year-old vines. The lot ultimately sold for $200,000.<ref name=worth>{{cite web |title=Reign of the Scarecrow - At this year’s Premiere Napa Valley wine auction, the cult favorite continued its dominance |url=https://www.worth.com/reign-of-the-scarecrow/ |website=www.worth.com |publisher=Worth.com |access-date=19 May 2023}}</ref>

In 2019, the wine app Vivino had named the vintage Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 as "the best wine in the world," according to data mining of the "40 million reviews and 120 million ratings its members posted online" in 2018.<ref name=best>{{cite web |title=Is this the best wine in the world? An app with 35 million subscribers says so. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/is-this-the-best-wine-in-the-world-40-million-reviews-say-so/2019/04/05/091b8cca-557b-11e9-9136-f8e636f1f6df_story.html |website=www.washingtonpost.com |publisher=Washington Post |access-date=19 October 2023}}</ref>

==Production== The estate extends {{convert|25|acre|ha}} under vine,<ref name=wsjl/> of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5.5 tons of fruit from the "House block", 2 tons from the "Hillside block" and 1.5 tons from the "Old Men block" planted in 1945.<ref name=sfc06/>

A range of {{convert|400|-|800|winecase|hl USgal|lk=on}} of Scarecrow may be produced annually.<ref name=sfc06/><ref name=wsjl/><ref name=sfc08/>

==Business model== Mailing list members are given priority, even over celebrity requests. Bottles are sold in resale for much higher prices.<ref name=sfate/><ref name=globe>{{cite web |title=The $1,300 bottle: Petrus? Nope, it's a Scarecrow |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-1300-bottle-petrus-nope-its-a-scarecrow/article20444853/ |website=www.theglobeandmail.com |publisher=Globe and Mail |access-date=19 May 2023}}</ref>

Not open to the public, it at times opens for private visits from customers such as Ellen DeGeneres.<ref name=sfate>{{cite web |title=The new cult wines: 6 wines to covet |url=https://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/The-new-cult-wines-6-wines-to-covet-3282462.php |website=www.sfgate.com |publisher=SFGate |access-date=19 May 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{official|https://www.scarecrowwine.com/}}

Category:Wineries in Napa Valley Category:1945 establishments in California