Doug Charles of Compass Wines not only sells some of the world’s top bottles at his storied shop in Anacortes, Wash., but he also collaborates with some Washington’s top producers on small lots of special projects just for his customers. The winemakers involved rotate, yet Charles continues to use this nautical term for these releases. In this case, Scott Greer of Sheridan Vineyards reached into Block 1 for this balanced Cab that shows the two years spent in French oak, half of them new barrels. That explains the freshly scraped vanilla bean aromas, which include black cherry, blackberry, Jolly Rancher grape candy, oregano and red peppercorns. Juicy flavors of Marionberry, dark cherry and black currant are presented within a sturdy tannin structure that slowly grows to add length rather than distraction.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 100 cases
Alcohol: 14%
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