CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
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Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2016

2016 was an excellent year in Napa Valley, just a step below the very best.

Save · All vintages of Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford · Compare

Aerial view of vineyards at sunrise with fog, Rutherford AVA, Napa Valley, California, USA
Earth Pixel LLC. · Adobe Stock · Adobe Stock Standard License

What to expect

Expect a ripe, well-balanced wine with a long life ahead of it.

1 of the 21 years we cover for this wine were rated higher.

A glass of dark red wine on a winery terrace above vineyards and golden hills at sunset
The year
Excellent
Last sold at auction for
$750a bottle · Christie's, Jul 2026
How hard to find
Rare10 years old

Other vintages of this wine

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

202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003
ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

What bottles sell for

At auction, standard bottles of this vintage have sold for between $729 and $792 each, across 5 sales since September 2023.

Every sale on record7 lots, each linked to the auction house
$720$740$760$780$800202420252026USD per 75 cl bottle · 2023-09-13 · $750USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-06-12 · $729USD per 75 cl bottle · 2025-04-23 · $792USD per 75 cl bottle · 2026-05-14 · $792USD per 75 cl bottle · 2026-07-15 · $750USD per bottle: lot price ÷ bottles in the lotSale date5 lots of 75 cl bottles sold in USD at Christie's · prices as published by each house
Sale dateHouse and saleFormatLot pricePer bottle
Jul 2026Christie'sFine & Rare Wines: Featuring The Reserve Cellar and 50th Anniversary Wines Direct From Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (sale 24555) · Los Angeles · lot 15913 × 75 cl$2,250$750
May 2026Christie'sFine and Rare Wines Online: Los Angeles Edition (sale 24553) · Los Angeles · lot 4173 × 75 cl$2,375$792
Apr 2025Christie'sFine and Rare Wines Online: Featuring the Cellar of a Southwestern Collector and the Final Offering from the Collection of Ben Ichinose (sale 23749) · Los Angeles · lot 4503 × 75 cl$2,375$792
Jun 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines Online: Featuring The Landmark Cellar (sale 23089) · Los Angeles · lot 4486 × 75 cl$4,375$729
Jun 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines Online: Featuring The Landmark Cellar (sale 23089) · Los Angeles · lot 4471 × 150 cl$1,750$1,750
Sep 2023Christie'sCalifornia Only Online: Featuring A Private Library Collection of Screaming Eagle and Other Napa Classics (sale 22848) · Los Angeles · lot 1293 × 75 cl$2,250$750
Apr 2023Christie'sFinest and Rarest Wines & Spirits (sale 21934) · London · lot 4523 × 75 cl≈$2,480≈$827
 Prices are in the currency of each sale. Christie’s and Sotheby’s include the buyer’s fee; Hart Davis Hart shows the price before it.

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What does this wine cost to make?Our estimate: $26–$80 a bottle

We estimate it costs about $26 to $80 to make one bottle of a wine like this. The price in the shop is far higher because the land is scarce, the name is famous, and many hands take a share on the way to you.

Low estimateImputed land cost: $3.82Vineyard operations: $5.79Oak barrels: $0.69Winemaking labour and cellar work: $3.00Cellar aging: $1.28Bottle, closure, label, case and bottling: $5.40Winery overhead: $4.00Financing over the aging period: $1.53$26 per bottleHigh estimateImputed land cost: $16.44Vineyard operations: $18.46Oak barrels: $1.67Winemaking labour and cellar work: $6.00Cellar aging: $3.20Bottle, closure, label, case and bottling: $14.40Winery overhead: $10.00Financing over the aging period: $9.82$80 per bottleImputed land costVineyard operationsOak barrelsWinemaking labour and cellar workCellar agingBottle, closure, label, case and bottlingWinery overheadFinancing over the aging periodUS$ per 75 cl bottle at the winery, before any margin, tax or transport · Corkonomics cost model

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Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page