M Etain Price Revealed

The Scarecrow winery has priced M. Etain at $125/bottle. The un-rated wine is from the 2008 vintage, and is available in 2-bottle cases (maximum 2 cases).

From a collector's perspective, anything Scarecrow puts out is highly desirable. But does M. Etain make sense for a wine investor?

Consider that the Grand Cuvee, Scarecrow, received a (92-94) score from Robert Parker, which is his lowest score for any Scarecrow wine. What would we predict the second wine to score? It's anyone's guess, but further consider that the year 2008 had big problems for the Napa Valley, including a devastating spring frost, and a summer drought. The bottom line is that it was very difficult for anyone to make a great wine, and M. Etain is unlikely to offer wine investors a significant profit.

Scarecrow Introduces M. Ètain

In an email to allocation members, Scarecrow announced a new wine called M. Ètain for 2008. Is this a luxury cuvee, or a second wine? Probably the latter. The email describes:

“The portion of juice that wasn’t included in the final Scarecrow blend was so undeniably superb that we were inspired to bottle it...M. Étain 2008, a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon which charmingly displays a perfect balance between power and elegance.”

The email goes on to say that M. Ètain won’t necessarily be offered every year. To me, it sounds like a second wine, with limited availability.

Should you buy it?

Scarecrow is coming from a big success with its 2007 offering, but consider that 2008 was a difficult year for Napa. The 2008 Scarecrow has a Parker score of (92-94), the lowest of any Scarecrow, and the 2008 M. Ètain is still unrated -and unpriced. This year’s 2008 M. Ètain offering might be fun for collectors and consumers, but it is unlikely to be worthwhile for speculators. I expect the best juice went into the 2008 Scarecrow.