Scarecrow

The land behind Scarecrow has one of the more cinematic backstories in American wine. Joseph Judson Cohn was MGM's Chief of Production during the golden age of motion pictures, the 1920s through the 1950s, and oversaw the production of The Wizard of Oz. In 1943 Cohn acquired the 195-acre Rutherford property adjacent to Inglenook; persuaded in 1945 by his neighbor John Daniel Jr. (in charge of Inglenook from 1939), he planted approximately 80 acres to Cabernet Sauvignon on St. George rootstock, including what is now known as the Old Men Block. For decades the estate supplied fruit to some of Napa's most celebrated names, including Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Joseph Phelps, Inglenook, and Beaulieu Vineyard. Cohn died in 1996 at age 100, and in 2002 the heirs put the property on the market. In a package deal reported at $31.5 million by the Napa Valley Register, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola took roughly 140 acres including most of the planted vineyard, while J.J. Cohn's grandson Bret Lopez retained 24 acres including the original 1945 Cabernet block. The first Scarecrow vintage followed in 2003, instantly establishing the label as a serious presence when Parker awarded it 98 points.

• J.J. Cohn served as MGM's Chief of Production from the 1920s through the 1950s, overseeing The Wizard of Oz among other films.
• Cohn acquired the 195-acre Rutherford property in 1943 and planted approximately 80 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on St. George rootstock in 1945, persuaded by Inglenook's John Daniel Jr.
• Before 2002, estate fruit was sold to Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Joseph Phelps, Inglenook, and Beaulieu Vineyard.
• The 2002 package deal, reported at $31.5 million, split the land between Francis Ford Coppola (roughly 140 acres) and Bret Lopez (24 acres including the 1945 block).
• The debut 2003 vintage received 98 points from Robert Parker, immediately establishing Scarecrow's cult credentials.

Scarecrow is owned and operated by Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio, who between them bring backgrounds in photography and styling rather than traditional viticulture. Lopez is J.J. Cohn's grandson, giving the project a direct family connection to the estate's 1943 acquisition and 1945 plantings. The creative identity of the brand reflects that background: graphic designer Michael Vanderbyl crafted the distinctive Scarecrow logo, which has become one of the most recognisable labels in American fine wine. Winemaking has been in the hands of consulting winemaker Celia Welch since the very first vintage, providing continuity and a clear house style. There is no public tasting room, and access to the wines is almost entirely through a mailing list whose waitlist currently stretches to approximately four years.

• Owners Bret Lopez and Mimi DeBlasio come from photography and styling backgrounds rather than winemaking.
• Lopez is J.J. Cohn's grandson, representing a second-generation family connection to the 1943 acquisition and 1945 plantings.
• The Scarecrow label was designed by graphic designer Michael Vanderbyl.
• No public tasting room exists; wine access is primarily through a mailing list with a roughly four-year wait.

The entire Scarecrow range draws from a single 24-acre property in the Rutherford AVA, farmed organically and sustainably under vineyard manager Mike Wolf. The estate is divided into three named blocks with distinct characters. The House Block contributes to the M.Étain blend. The Hillside Block provides a separate component to the same blend. The Old Men Block, approximately 2 acres of 1945-planted vines on St. George rootstock, provides the backbone of the flagship Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon. The St. George rootstock has allowed these vines to survive phylloxera, making them among the oldest intact Cabernet plantings in Napa Valley and the defining asset of the entire estate.

• Total Lopez-retained vineyard area is 24 acres divided into House Block, Hillside Block, and Old Men Block.
• The Old Men Block was planted in 1945 on St. George rootstock and comprises approximately 2 acres of the original Cohn-era vines.
• The estate is farmed organically and sustainably under vineyard manager Mike Wolf.
• All three blocks are within the Rutherford AVA, whose benchmark characteristic is the so-called Rutherford Dust texture in Cabernet Sauvignon, a phrase attributed to legendary BV winemaker André Tchelistcheff.

Celia Welch, named Food and Wine Magazine's Winemaker of the Year in 2008, has served as Scarecrow's consulting winemaker since the inaugural 2003 vintage. The flagship Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is produced as a 100 percent varietal wine sourced from the Old Men Block vines. The M.Étain is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend that also incorporates Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, drawing on fruit from the other estate blocks. A third cuvee, Toto's Opium Dream, was for many years available only through Premiere Napa Valley Auction; as of January 2026 it became available to the public for the first time. Total production runs to roughly 2,000 cases each of Scarecrow and M.Étain per vintage, deliberately limited to sustain both quality and scarcity.

• Celia Welch has been the sole winemaker since the 2003 inaugural vintage and was named Food and Wine Magazine's Winemaker of the Year in 2008.
• Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon sourced exclusively from the 1945 Old Men Block vines.
• M.Étain is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend with Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot from other estate blocks.
• Total production is roughly 2,000 cases each of Scarecrow and M.Étain annually; Toto's Opium Dream became publicly available for the first time in January 2026.

Scarecrow stands as one of the clearest demonstrations that American cult wine can compete with the world's most sought-after bottles on both quality and market terms. The estate's 1945 vines represent a viticultural heritage rare anywhere in the world, and the unbroken record of critical acclaim since 2003 has validated that heritage in the glass. Multiple 100-point scores place Scarecrow in a very short list of American producers to have achieved that standard. The 2015 vintage's recognition as the world's best wine by Vivino extended the estate's reach well beyond traditional fine wine audiences. For students of Napa Valley, Scarecrow illustrates the convergence of old-vine viticulture, Rutherford terroir, and restrained ultra-premium production that defines the valley's most serious estates.

• Multiple 100-point vintages place Scarecrow among America's most critically decorated producers.
• The 2015 vintage was ranked the world's best wine by Vivino across 40 million reviews and 120 million ratings.
• A 2014 Premiere Napa Valley auction lot of 60 bottles of the 2012 vintage sold for a record $260,000.
• The estate demonstrates how dry-farmed, organically managed old vines on St. George rootstock can produce benchmark Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.