Another blockbuster potentially meriting a three digit score is the 2012 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon. This fruit bomb displays the classic sucrosity and sweetness of creme de cassis, toasty oak, licorice and floral notes as well as a hint of that loamy soil character that is often referred to as the Rutherford dust character. An inky/purple color, full-bodied voluptuousness and no hard edges suggest this creamy, perfumed, multi-layered wine may come closest in style to their perfect 2007. It should drink well for at least two decades. These have been enviable wines since I first started tasting them thanks primarily to Celia Welch, the consulting winemaker at this historic estate in Rutherford. They have added a quasi-second wine called M. Etain, which is brilliantly packaged. Of course, it is what’s in the bottle that really counts. Tel. (707) 963-3361

The 2012 Scarecrow wraps around the palate with serious intensity and persistence. Texturally, the 2012 is striking, but it is also a bit compact given its recent racking. Still, all the Scarecrow signatures are in the glass.