Scarecrow

Scarecrow is made from the J.J. Cohn estate in Rutherford, whose oldest Cabernet Sauvignon block dates from 1945, by Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio. The first vintage was 2003; production is reported at around 800–1,000 cases, sold by mailing list. M. Étain is the second wine.

Founded: 2003
Region: Napa Valley
Ownership: Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio
Vineyard: 10.0 ha25 ac

Wines

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, RutherfordCult Napa Cabernet · Rutherford

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, vintage by vintage

One square for each year. The darker the square, the better the weather was for the grapes. Tap a year to read about it.

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

The essentials

Economic profile

Scarecrow's economics rest on vine age: the 1945 block yields tiny quantities of fruit that cannot be replicated, which is why the wine reached cult prices within a decade of its first vintage. Land in Rutherford's old-vine belt is at the top of the Napa range.

The detailsClassification, ownership, land and output

Founded

2003

Classification

Rutherford AVA; cult Cabernet

Ownership

Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio (family)

Vineyard holdings

10.0 ha (25 ac)≈ 25 acres reported by the trade

First vintage made

2003

Website

scarecrowwine.com/

Oldest vines

Planted 1945Scarecrow

Second wine

M. Étain

We estimate it costs about $26 to $80 to make one bottle at an estate like this. See the full breakdown

Land-value contextWhat a hectare of vineyard sells for around here

Input	Low	High	Unit	Source
Vineyard land, prime Napa Valley (Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena benchland)2025	300,000	500,000	USD/acre	Trade press and broker reports
Vineyard land, prime Napa Valley, per hectare2025	741,000	1,236,000	USD/ha	Corkonomics estimate from the inputs o…
Vineyard land, secondary Napa Valley sites2025	120,000	340,000	USD/acre	Trade press and broker reports

Every wine in a tableBottles made, years covered and how hard each is to find

Wine	Bottles made in a typical year	Vintages covered	Great years	How rare (0–100)
Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, RutherfordCult Napa Cabernet · Rutherford	10,800	21 2003–2023	8	79

Every year in a tableScarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford: How each year was rated, and the price the producer first asked

Vintage	How the year was rated	Release price	How rare (0–100)	The growing season
2023	Very Good	—	75
2022	Mixed	—	75
2021	Excellent	—	76
2020	Difficult	—	76	The Glass and LNU fires; smoke taint led several cult estates to release no wine from the…
2019	Excellent	—	77
2018	Excellent	—	77
2017	Mixed	—	78	Heat spike at harvest and the October fires; several estates released reduced quantities.
2016	Excellent	—	78
2015	Very Good	—	78
2014	Excellent	—	79
2013	Exceptional	—	79	Long, even season; widely rated among Napa's best.
2012	Excellent	—	80
2011	Difficult	—	80	Cool, wet, late; rot at harvest; many estates made little or declassified.
2010	Good	—	80
2009	Very Good	—	81
2008	Good	—	81
2007	Excellent	—	81
2006	Very Good	—	81
2005	Very Good	—	82
2004	Very Good	—	82
2003	Good	—	82

How the years were rated

excellent7 vintages
very good6 vintages
good3 vintages
mixed2 vintages
difficult2 vintages
exceptional1 vintages

Rutherford Hill Vineyards, Napa Valley, California - panoramio Jim Gateley · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

The regionNapa ValleyCalifornia's home of rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.About the region

Sources

Scarecrow, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.

Last reviewed: September 2026Profile verified September 2026Report an error on this page

Wines

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, vintage by vintage

Economic profile

How the years were rated

Sources

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