Winemaker Notes
Z. Alexander Brown Cabernet Sauvignon unfolds with rich aromas of black cherry, mocha and sweet toasted oak notes. Bold tannins frame a powerful mid-palate layered with mouth-filling flavors of blackberry and currant. Smooth and balanced, an elegant finesse defines the long and lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Broad-shouldered and armed with blackberry and purple plum, this bold statement of a wine is luxurious on the palate, with streamlined tannins. The toasted oak-mocha finish is well received.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a great bang-for-the-buck Cab Sauv that offers layers, aromas and flavors alongside a solid structure of firm, mature tannins and elevated acidity. Enjoy notes of black cherry, plum and currant, violet, fennel, anise, cacao and coffee, and dried forest floor, complete with leaf litter.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.