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Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Pinot Noir 2015 Monterrey County, Napa County, Sonoma County

I was in Total Wine and More recently with a specific list of wines to buy using a coupon before it expired.  It was Friday and beside the usual tasting table, a winery representative was pouring samples of Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged red wines.  I tried each of them and was particularly impressed with the tri-county Pinot Noir.

Country music star Zac Brown is well known as a foodie and wine fan and he has now teamed with Delicato Family Wines to produce Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged wines.  Zac is involved in the entire process from label design to blending of the fermented grapes.

This wine is sourced from three great Pinot Noir regions - Monterrey County, Napa County and Sonoma County.  The batches of grapes are aged separately in French and American oak then blended and bottled.  The wine has a hefty 14.5% alcohol.

When I first tasted the wine in the store, I noted that there was something different than I usually taste in Pinot Noir.  The tasting sample size was so small that I could not decide what was different.  Drinking this at home, I noted black cherry fruit paired with caramel, vanilla and toasty oak and I do not usually taste those in Pinot.  This is truly an unexpected pleasure.

Total Wine sells this for $11.99 which is less than other retailers online and with my 15% off coupon, I paid $10.19.  I know I will buy more!

SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points



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