2019 Scarecrow M. Etain

While the Grand Vin gets all the attention, don’t miss the 2019 M. Étain. This cuvee offers so much pleasure, and it also has a unique style all its own. Based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, its deep purple color is followed by a great bouquet of cassis, violets, leafy herbs, black olive, and crushed stone. Full-bodied, it has a terrific mix of richness and freshness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. While it’s a second wine at this address, it’s as good as just about everyone else’s top cuvée.

The 2019 M. Étain is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with notes of violets, fallen leaves and incense over a warm cassis and plum preserves core, plus a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied, the ripe, opulent black fruit preserve flavors are beautifully framed by firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and seductively spicy. 2,600 cases were made.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon M. Étain is absolutely gorgeous. Intense in its aromatics, the 2019 is laced with spice, blood orange and floral accents. Broad and resonant, the 2019 is definitely voluptuous, but also less heavy than some previous editions. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this gem. While M. Étain is a sibling to Scarecrow, it is very clearly more pedigreed than many estates' top wines and increasingly of note on its own. (AG)