M. Etain Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This lovely offering shows the trademark raspberry, fresh plum, and dusty cocoa tones that personify its Rutherford origins, but with more subtle, graceful notes of sweet anise, cinnamon bark, and bayberry adding complexity that only a slow-ripening vintage like 2011 could produce. Texturally, this 100% Cabernet has enough backbone to lend a serious base note of power, yet shows restraint and finesse despite the complex flavors. The finish lingers with flavors of warm plum and vanilla, with a hint of toasty oak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced & bottled by Scarecrow Wine. The J.J. Cohn Estate, where Scarecrow's grapes are born, borders what was once the legendary vineyard of Inglenook's winemaker, Gustave Niebaum, whose plantings blanketed more than 1,000 acres of the Napa Valley at the close of the 19th century. John Daniel Jr. took the helm at Inglenook in 1939, determined to restore the label to pre-Prohibition standing and produce world-class, Bordeaux-style wines. In 1945, Daniel convinced his neighbor, J.J. Cohn, to plant 80 acres of Cabernet vines on the 180-acre parcel Cohn had purchased a few years prior.