The Show Cabernet Sauvignon

Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon (80 percent), merlot (8 percent), cabernet franc (6 percent), petite sirah (3 percent), petit verdot (3 percent)

Region: St. Helena, Calif.

Vintage: 2005

Price: $11.99

In the glass: The Show Cabernet Reserve is a deeply opaque blood-ruby red color with a blackish core going out into a deep crimson-red to violet rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: The wine comes at the olfactory senses with everything but the kitchen sink, in the form of extracted crushed black fruits, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, cherry concentrate, creme brulee, vanilla beans, eucalyptus, black licorice, mocha, spice box and minerals.

On the palate: There is a soft attack of crushed black berry fruits with underlying vanilla tones, boysenberry sorbet, creme de cassis, stewed black currants, jammy cherries, minerality and aniseed notes. The midpalate shows tremendous balance with excellent tannin structure, deep black fruit components and hints of oak and minerals going into an impressive and supple finish, giving off yet more black fruit and mintiness.

Odds and ends: The Show Cabernet Sauvignon is made by the crack team from the Three Thieves line of jug wines. It is a great drinking wine perfect for this time of year. The wine is solidly made and should drink well through 2011. Try it with grilled bison loin, which is commonly found at specialty retailers. It’s also delicious straight out of the bottle.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.