Community Tasting Note
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csimm wrote: 98 points
June 27, 2022 - Saturday get-together: Tense and coiled up on the initial pass, with crunchy blackberry seed, asphalt, coffee grounds, and gravelly soil. The profile is darker and blacker fruited than how I typically experience young Scarecrow, which I find immediately compelling, as the black spectrum stylistically is my general preference. With swirling and some small revisits over the course of a couple of hours, this starts to hit the sweet spot for me, with the quivering tension keeping a captivating stronghold on the delivery but while also allowing the fruit to expand a bit more and offer blackberry, dark cassis, and wet cave wall stone flavors to emerge. It’s edgy at first, but then of course I have to go in for another sip. There is a James Hetfield “…And Justice For All” thing going on here that kicks out a deliberate strum of emphatic (but thoughtful and precise) Metallica power chords and black metal sonic thumping that I totally dig.
After about 4-5 hours in the decanter, in light switch fashion, this thing lays on its back like a big wet happy dog, exposes its pet-me belly, and offers up all the goods. The expansion is strikingly notable, as is the added juicy depth. The fruit on the front end becomes more gushing, with a mid-palate that starts to hit at a savory cadence, finishing fruity and encompassing.
When debating the wine(s) of the night, the Scarecrow was at the forefront. Somewhat controversially, I personally like the window just before it switched fully on. I favor the energy and intensity that makes for enhanced speed and scaffolding. I loved both “versions” of this wine in the two very distinct stages of its consumption, but I wanted to tug just slightly rearward on its outpouring and leash it back to the heeling it was doing somewhat before. I think I was in the minority on this little caveat. That aside, the group was impressed with the journey this wine was taking throughout the evening.
A huge thanks to bsumoba for contributing this beauty. A compelling wine now and one destined to perhaps be my favorite Scarecrow yet. 2019 is a killer vintage for this producer. 98+ points, with the likelihood of a triple digit score with another 7-10 years of cellaring (at least that’s what a prudent oenophile would do). Me? I’ll drink this stuff way too early…and love it… Do what cha like!4 people found this helpful 10,077 views
12 Comments
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Quiet Lion commented:
6/27/22, 3:47 PM - :slow clap:
Some vintages of Scarecrow have an amazing stage-by-stage transformation if you pop-and-pour them when young. I may have to pop one early... -
csimm commented:
6/27/22, 4:50 PM - I certainly can't blame anyone wanting to pop one of these early. It was surely spun up at first pass, but I can't deny my affection for it once it got some air. I appreciate the tension and intensity of a well crafted wine, even in its juvenile state. If you have multiples, seeing what's under the hood with the 2019 isn't a total sin in my humble opinion (even though I know many Scarecrowers will think I'm a complete idiot for even suggesting that).
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sfwinelover1 commented:
6/27/22, 6:55 PM - Wow, great notes for all of the wines, and what a lineup! Sorry I missed this. Next one . . .
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csimm commented:
6/28/22, 6:36 AM - You were missed SF. Next time for sure... and we gotta figure out a way to get Quiet Lion down to the Bay Area one day too :)
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sfwinelover1 commented:
6/28/22, 7:19 AM - On my list, too, for sure, but glad that this wasn’t the time he came. Would be great if you could join us for a WA wine junket in September or October!
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csimm commented:
6/28/22, 8:09 AM - I like it! Would be a great time I’m sure!
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Quiet Lion commented:
6/28/22, 8:11 AM - Let's do it. I'm up for a Bay Area trip too.
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sfwinelover1 commented:
6/28/22, 9:55 AM - Fall is a great time here, QL. We could plan a day or 2 in Napa, and with some notice, a get together in the BA. We should be ready for another by then for sure . . .
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csimm commented:
6/28/22, 11:12 AM - I'd be in. Happy to host another dinner and hit Napa as well.
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sfwinelover1 commented:
6/28/22, 11:25 AM - Another great incentive to get back on better footing; thank you for that!
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SalN commented:
8/30/22, 9:37 PM - I’m confused. I thought they did not ship the 2019 yet? I can’t remember.
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csimm commented:
8/30/22, 10:24 PM - Hi SaIN. This was not my bottle and I dropped from the list a couple of years ago, so I can’t speak to their ship date. I do know this bottle was indeed the 2019 and others here on Cellar Tracker have had it, so it’s definitely out there.