2005 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon

As I've shown several times on this blog, sometimes I write a post and don't post it until much later. Such is the case here. I was impressed by the 2005 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon at a recent Great Wines blind tasting. When I went to purchase a bottle of one of my anonymous favorites, I was delighted to discover a glowing testament to commercial poster graphic design as well as a wine from the creative minds behind "Three Thieves".

It's made up of (deep breath now) 42% Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Monterey County Merlot, 6% Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, 3% Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, and 3% Napa Valley Petite Verdot. Overall the wine has a profile of dark fruit, with a surprisingly complex structure and easy drinkability. I got a lot of blackberries and dark plums with this one.

The label design comes from the Hatch Show Print firm in Nashville, which has for many years designed concert posters. They designed three different labels for this wine, and the winemakers decided to release bottles in all three designs. This is a dream come true for graphic designers. I did that for eight years, and whenever you had to come up with multiple designs, typically there were one or two that you really loved, and invariably the client would choose the third that you hated.

In the above photo you can see some of my tomatoes set to ripen as well as orange marigolds from my garden. But what am I reading while enjoying this wine? The final three chapters of the last Harry Potter book. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I've read the whole series and thought the seventh and final book was a fitting end. I happened to have an evening to myself at home and was able to enjoy the ending in blissful peace and silence, accompanied by The Show, of course.