2013 Z Alexander Brown Uncaged Cabernet Sauvignon

2013 Z Alexander Brown Uncaged Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintages 478628 – $21.95 – ****+ – When I tasted this wine I didn’t know this had a celebrity name attached to it. The Z in Alexander Brown stands for Zac of the Zac Brown Band. If you’re a fan of his music this is worth picking up. If you’re a fan of his music you probably won’t need to read this review any further. This is good wine. If you don’t care which musician has his name on the bottle this is an outstanding value from the North Coast of California. The nose offers rich cocoa over blackberries, black currants, and black cherry. The flavours match the nose. The flavours are nicely concentrated and the fruit in this wine dominate the palate with smoke and cocoa poking their way through all the fruit. The tannin is velvet smooth and well integrated in the wine. This isn’t something I would try to keep in my cellar for too long because the vibrant fruit really are a high point to this wine, but if I forgot about a bottle or two for 3-6 years I think I would be pleased when I revisited them. Enjoy this with roast or grilled beef, or just enjoy it on its own.