October 26, 2023 - Excellent aged Napa cab that presents as very fruit forward, yet well structured and balanced. Toes the line quite nicely in that it’s very clearly Napa (I.e. fruit forward) but yet pulls it off by maintaining adequate balance and is not overextracted or too jammy. The bottle we opened was surprisingly primary and tasted much younger than 22 years post vintage. Beautiful fruit driven nose of raspberry and cherry compote and damp earth…nose translates to the palate with raspberries, blackberries, pine needles, eucalyptus, and some earthy / chocolate undertones on the finish. Still a long life ahead in my opinion for well stored bottles. It presented a very nice contrast to another Napa cab from 1994 we opened alongside it (which tasted much more like a hybrid Napa/Bordeaux).
Cork was pristine and bottle had been stored perfectly…
October 25, 2023 - Gorgeous wine. This is 100% old vine Cohn vineyard (Scarecrow) fruit made by Tony Soter. You know, the same stuff that goes into Toto's Opium Dream asking for $5k a bottle right now. Decanted off sediment and back to bottle, followed for an evening. Really long cork with absolutely no staining.
Profound density and richness initially. Sappy red currants, a hint of raspberry jam (but not jammy), slight touch of dusty earth. Palate is so so rich, layered, with incredible depth of fruit. Dark red and black fruits, a hint of red floral freshness, some subtle mineral character. Finish has a quick blast of drying red and dark fruits and gives way to some supple oak flavors.
I would never call this a 20yo wine. This is drinking so young and fresh as a daisy. Easily has another 20 in the tank in terms of the fruit holding up. Outstanding quality, stylistically larger than I prefer, but wow what an effort from some great vines. 93-94. Drink now or come back in 10 years.
March 9, 2019 - Still well balanced and lively fruit. Not over the hill. A pleasure to drink with rack of lamb.
December 1, 2018 - A knockout wine. The nose shows florals, tree bark, and dark fruit. The palate is all about balance. Unmistakably California with ripe fruit intertwined with anise and earth, layered beneath the firm structure. The finish is lush and long with a bit of dark chocolate. I usually stick to my regulars, the Napa stalwarts, but this was a nice detour.
A little checking shows that only 100 cases were produced and now Scarecrow uses the fruit. I believe Tony Soter was the winemaker. Correct me if I am wrong.
March 10, 2018 - I loved this. Perfumed nose focuses on dark berry fruits & rich cherries, but has plenty of green bits to it as well--menthol, green tobacco, etc. Gorgeous. Those layers all come through on the palate, which is still robust & adds just a touch of oak tone on the back end. Longgg, balanced finish. This is a classic cali-cab with an extra oomph of fruit to it, but not so much as to push it out of balance. Still has plenty of life left--thinking I'll open my other bottle in 2021.
August 26, 2015 - Beyond Fantastic!
May 22, 2011 - Incredible. Smooth and balanced.
February 22, 2011 - This is my favorite wine from étude. Scarecrow vines before they were Brett Lopez's sourcing.
April 8, 2010 - Opened at dinner about 30 minutes before drinking. It got better and better the longer it was open. It was rich, smooth, soft and velvety. Not quite as fruity as its Napa brother, however. Excellent mouth feel with nice finiish.
October 1, 2009 - Opened and poured through a venturi into a wide bottom decanter. Knew it would bet better over the next hour or two. It did. I've read many wine tasting notes but still need a translator. This is a delightful example of a Napa, Rutherford to be exact, cab. It should get better over the next 2-5 years. It is hard to imagine anyone who likes cab not likeing this wine a lot. Nice fruit and nice balance.