--- title: 2023 Scarline Cabernet Sauvignon date: 2026-09-08T14:44:00-07:00 author: Leah Bobson canonical_url: "https://tenorwines.com/wines/cabernet-sauvignon/scarline-cabernet-sauvignon/2023-scarline-cabernet-sauvignon" section: Wines --- ![Scarline Cabernet Sauvignon](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/bottleShots/_300x1000_crop_center-center_82_line_ns/Tenor-Cab-Sauv-Scarline-750ml-Front-2023-HD.png) Inky and deep bloody purple, this glass-staining Cabernet leads with aromas of dark cherry reduction, tilled soil, sagebrush, and licorice. Rich and intriguing, the palate unravels with plum sauce, Asian five-spice, savory meat drippings, and marionberry. Highly viscous and full-bodied, it balances rustic, seductive tannins with surprising grace relative to its immense concentration, concluding on a complex finish of fruit punch, pipe tobacco, and toasted almond. [ Buy Now$145](https://shop.mercerwineestates.com/product/2023-tenor-cabernet-sauvignon-scarline) Labeled Appellation [Royal Slope](https://tenorwines.com/vineyards/royal-slope) Varietal(s) 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Vinification 14 days in 100% oak barrels, followed by 30 days of extended contact with the grape skins. Aged for 23 months in 100% oak barrels. Alcohol 14.9% Cases Produced 70 Vintage Notes ## The Darker Side of the Royal Slope The 2023 Tenor Scarline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep dive into one of the Royal Slope’s most compelling vineyard sites. Inky, concentrated, and unapologetically dark, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon shows a decidedly savory side of the variety, layering dark fruit with tilled earth, five-spice, cured meat, and pipe tobacco. It’s a wine with plenty to say, and it doesn’t say it quietly. After four vintages that each brought their own brand of drama, 2023 was a welcome return to normal. Typical yields. Typical timing. Typical harvest dates. Boring? Maybe. We loved every minute of it. A slow start to spring was quickly erased by warm weather in May, followed by a steady summer and a cooler finish that gave the fruit time to develop flavor and tannin without racing toward the finish line. For us in the cellar, the consistency was a gift—great wine was simply easier to make. Scarline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested in October with the concentration, physiological maturity, and freshness we were looking for. The wine was fermented entirely in oak barrels for 14 days, then left on the skins for a total of 30 days of extended maceration, building serious depth, texture, and structure. Following fermentation, the wine spent 23 months aging entirely in oak barrels, giving all that power time to settle into a more polished frame. The result is Cabernet with serious weight and intensity, balanced by the finesse that keeps you coming back to the glass. Bottled on September 8, 2025, just 70 cases were produced. Dark, savory, layered, and unmistakably Scarline—the Royal Slope has a darker side. Expert Reviews & Scores ### Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com 99 / 100 > A gorgeous wine, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Scarline Vineyard is all about refined tannins and elegant yet full-bodied power, with quenching cassis and black cherry. There’s depth and breadth to the background notes of cardamom, clove, and nutmeg, with velvety tannins that nearly taste sweet. It’s all varietal and was aged 23 months in all-new French oak barrique. This is a stunner that should continue to evolve and taste amazing over the next 10-15 years. Trade Materials - [ Tech Sheet](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/wineTradeAssets/Tenor-2023-Scarline-Cab-Sauv-TS-with-review.pdf) - [ Bottle Shot](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/wineTradeAssets/Tenor-Cab-Sauv-Scarline-750ml-Front-2023-HD.png) - [ Front Label](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/wineTradeAssets/Tenor-Scarline-23-Cabernet-Sauvignon_Front_COLA.jpg) - [ Back Label](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/wineTradeAssets/Tenor-Scarline-23-Cabernet-Sauvignon_Back_COLA.jpg) --- ## Our Recommendations PreviousNext - [![Cabernet Sauvignon](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/bottleShots/_300x1000_crop_center-center_82_line/Tenor-Cabernet-Sauvignon-750ml-Front-2022-HD.png) ### Cabernet Sauvignon](https://tenorwines.com/wines/cabernet-sauvignon/cabernet-sauvignon/2022-tenor-cabernet-sauvignon) - [![Scarline Syrah](https://mercer.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/tenor/wineTradeAssets/OUTSHINERY-Matthews-Tenor-Scarline-Syrah-2022.png) ### Scarline Syrah](https://tenorwines.com/wines/syrah/scarline-syrah/2022-tenor-scarline-syrah) [ Buy Now$145](https://shop.mercerwineestates.com/product/2023-tenor-cabernet-sauvignon-scarline)