Scarecrow Cabernet 2023
HARVEST NOTES
Vineyard Manager Domenick Bianco:
The 2023 season at J.J. Cohn began with record-breaking winter rainfall. A series of atmospheric river events brought one of the wettest starts to a growing season in recent memory. Rain through March fully recharged soil profiles and ended our multi-year drought. Rains persisted into late March, delaying budbreak slightly and leaving soils saturated well into spring.
The cooler, wet spring, encouraged even budbreak and early shoot growth, while deep soil moisture reduced irrigation needs well into the season and allowed for us to grow beautiful cover crops. There were no significant frost events, allowing for a uniform and healthy start to canopy development. Dense growth and high humidity required early-season focus on canopy work and mildew prevention, but the vineyard remained in excellent condition throughout and no issues presented themselves.
Summer brought steady, moderate warmth. While a few isolated days reached or exceeded 100°F, the vineyard avoided the kind of prolonged heat spells that often define Napa vintages in the modern era. The vineyard held up perfectly through the season and into harvest. Irrigation demands were low during the summer months. Fruit set was above average, which required more diligence during the thinning windows, to achieve quality and balance on a vine-by-vine basis.
Harvest began on October 4 and concluded on October 17. While this was a few weeks later than the drought-era vintages of recent years, it remained well within historical averages. There were no major weather events which forced our hands—so harvest decisions could be made entirely based on fruit development and flavor, not weather pressure. Fruit was picked at full physiological ripeness. Yields came in slightly above average.
2023 was a drought-ending, low-stress season marked by patience, precision, and restraint.
TASTING NOTES
Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2023 Scarecrow:
In the glass, intense aromas of blackberries on the vine, crème de cassis, Luxardo cherries, and violets all add to the aromas of this lovely, fully ripe vintage, while notes of black tea, a touch of cocoa, warm toasted wheat, and a hint of vanilla add to the dimensions in the aromas.
On the palate, the wine is immediately generous, silky, full, fruit-forward, bright, and elegant. The tannins are soft and refined, and the bright, fresh fruit lingers, leaving impressions of dark purple-black fruits.
This wine was crafted entirely from wine grapes grown on the J. J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley. After a long, moderate summer growing season with cooler-than-normal overall temperatures, the fruit ripened to perfection with bright flavors and a crisp natural acidity. The fruit was harvested by hand between October 5 and 17th, with each section of the vineyard fermented individually, then gently pressed and transferred into French oak barrels (70% new) for approximately 21 months. The wine was blended and bottled on July 7 and 8, 2025, without fining or filtration. The final blend for the 2023 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. A total of 1,800 cases were produced.
Vineyard Manager Domenick Bianco:
The 2023 season at J.J. Cohn began with record-breaking winter rainfall. A series of atmospheric river events brought one of the wettest starts to a growing season in recent memory. Rain through March fully recharged soil profiles and ended our multi-year drought. Rains persisted into late March, delaying budbreak slightly and leaving soils saturated well into spring.
The cooler, wet spring, encouraged even budbreak and early shoot growth, while deep soil moisture reduced irrigation needs well into the season and allowed for us to grow beautiful cover crops. There were no significant frost events, allowing for a uniform and healthy start to canopy development. Dense growth and high humidity required early-season focus on canopy work and mildew prevention, but the vineyard remained in excellent condition throughout and no issues presented themselves.
Summer brought steady, moderate warmth. While a few isolated days reached or exceeded 100°F, the vineyard avoided the kind of prolonged heat spells that often define Napa vintages in the modern era. The vineyard held up perfectly through the season and into harvest. Irrigation demands were low during the summer months. Fruit set was above average, which required more diligence during the thinning windows, to achieve quality and balance on a vine-by-vine basis.
Harvest began on October 4 and concluded on October 17. While this was a few weeks later than the drought-era vintages of recent years, it remained well within historical averages. There were no major weather events which forced our hands—so harvest decisions could be made entirely based on fruit development and flavor, not weather pressure. Fruit was picked at full physiological ripeness. Yields came in slightly above average.
2023 was a drought-ending, low-stress season marked by patience, precision, and restraint.
TASTING NOTES
Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2023 Scarecrow:
In the glass, intense aromas of blackberries on the vine, crème de cassis, Luxardo cherries, and violets all add to the aromas of this lovely, fully ripe vintage, while notes of black tea, a touch of cocoa, warm toasted wheat, and a hint of vanilla add to the dimensions in the aromas.
On the palate, the wine is immediately generous, silky, full, fruit-forward, bright, and elegant. The tannins are soft and refined, and the bright, fresh fruit lingers, leaving impressions of dark purple-black fruits.
This wine was crafted entirely from wine grapes grown on the J. J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley. After a long, moderate summer growing season with cooler-than-normal overall temperatures, the fruit ripened to perfection with bright flavors and a crisp natural acidity. The fruit was harvested by hand between October 5 and 17th, with each section of the vineyard fermented individually, then gently pressed and transferred into French oak barrels (70% new) for approximately 21 months. The wine was blended and bottled on July 7 and 8, 2025, without fining or filtration. The final blend for the 2023 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. A total of 1,800 cases were produced.
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