Wines From My Cellar & Others
Showket Vineyards was started in 1988 by Kal & Dorothy Showket. The winery is located in the hills overlooking Oakville and is above Silverado Trail. The vineyard has some very impressive neighbors such as Dala Valle, Joseph Phelps’ Backus Vineyards, Screaming Eagle and Rudd Estates.
The 2003 Showket is a Cabernet blend made by winemaker Heidi Barrett who grew to winemaker stardom from her days at Screaming Eagle. Wine Enthusiast magazine rated the 2003 Showket at 94 points while Cellar Tracker rated it at 92 points. I did not decant this. I did, however, open the bottle and let it sit at room temperature for several hours.
The wine’s color was a rich purple. The nose was a little soft but the aromas were fruity with a hint of smokiness. The mouth-feel was velvety and the palate had a nice concentration of fruit. It was well rounded. The tannins were structured and the finish was dry and of a nice length.
I believe that the 2003 vintage of this wine has reached its prime and should be consumed now. I enjoyed the wine and recommend you try Showket Wines if you have the opportunity. Wines are available through the Vintner’s Collective in Napa (phone: 707-255-7150 or the website) or from the various internet marketers.
Cheers.
Carl, what do you mean when you say that the tannins are structured? I enjoy the blog.
-Phil
Hi Phil. Great question. First, lets talk about structure. Wine structure is similar to a building structure. You have various components that hold the building together such as steel, concrete, walls etc. Wine is the same way. You have various primary components: acid, alcohol, tannins, etc. that tend to support the body of the wine. Wine needs structure or a balance of components to taste good.
Tannins are chemical compounds that are extracted from the grape skins, seeds and stems during the fermentation process of wine. Tannins tend to taste bitter and are very astringent (a puckering mouth feel), they give your mouth a dry feeling and can leave a fuzzy feeling on your teeth.
In some wines the tannins can overpower the other structural components and cause the wine to be out of balance. With this wine I felt the tannins were not overpowering but structured and in balance with the other components. Thus structured tannins.
Thanks for your support of the wine blog. Hope to see you soon.
Cheers.