Our President and resident wine lover, Nick McMillan, selected a remarkable wine for October’s wine of the month. He selected a California Cabernet, the Scarecrow 2018 Vintage. We sat down with him and he told us more about his selection and what makes this wine so special.
Q: What can you tell us about Scarecrow?
This wine is very scarce. It is impossible to find in stores and very rare to find in restaurants. Scarecrow is a small batch of wine that has acquired a cult following of wine enthusiasts. You can only acquire this wine if you are a part of their wine club. Given the highly limited supply of these wines, each state receives an small allocation of wines. Our distributor was able to acquire a few bottles for the Golden Steer Steakhouse because of our wine accolades.
All harvesting for this wine is done by hand at night. The estate runs a very boutique practice and only sells in small predictions. The total amount of time the wine is kept in French Oak barrels is 22 months.
With any California Cabernet but specifically for this wine you will experience tasting notes of fully ripe fruit and aromas of blackberries, cherries, and true earthiness. With Scarecrow you will catch hints of mocha and vanilla. This wine can continue to evolve in its profile for up to 20 years.
Q: Beyond the taste, what makes this wine extraordinary?
The estate that this wine is produced from was originally owned by J.J. Cohn. He bought the land in 1939. This land was situated next to a very famous estate that was started in the 1800s by Gustave Niebaum. Gustave started a vineyard in the United States with vines that he harvested in Europe and brought back to Inglebrook.
J.J. Cohn was an MGM Pictures executive producer. He produced plenty of grand films during Hollywood’s golden age but his most beloved was the Wizard of Oz. The wine label on this enchanting wine pays homage to his most enchanting film.
