by Michelle J. Baker
When Bruce Cohn bought his Olive Hill property in Sonoma Valley in 1974, he intended for it to be the place he’d raise his family and help him wind down from the “road,” where he often found himself as manager of the Doobie Brothers.  Little did he know that closing in on the winery’s 25th anniversary, he’d not only be making world-class wines, but also extraordinary olive oils and food products.
It’s an old cliché that Cohn mentions in the context of his success: “better to be lucky than smart.” But for Cohn the formula has been more like consistently high quality, a whole lot of entrepreneurial spirit and just enough luck to make it all work.  
The Olive Hill estate already had 14 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon when Cohn bought it. Busy with career and family, he sold the grapes to other wineries that turned it into critically acclaimed wine. In 1978, Cohn’s grape-growing mentor, Charlie Wagner of Caymus, made an Olive Hill Cabernet Sauvignon under the Caymus label. He told Cohn it was the best Cabernet Sauvignon he ever had from Sonoma County.
With that in mind, Cohn decided to start making his own wine. It was certainly lucky that the Olive Hill property had a microclimate unlike any in Sonoma County.  In the 70 years of the estate’s history that Cohn cantrace, the property has never once experienced a frost in the growing season. Over time, he figured out the reason why: his property sit on the same artesian wells responsible for the nearby hot springs. Add to that the fact that it lies on the lee side of Sonoma Mountain, sheltered from the cool coastal air and fog. This pocket remains 7 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of Sonoma Valley, with added sunlight hours. It’s that combination of extra warmth from above and below ground that makes his Cabernet Sauvignon so good.
Cohn is also fortunate to have inherited some old head-trained Cabernet Sauvignon on the property. Although those vines were planted in 1968 on the then ill-regarded St. George rootstock, Cohn left them alone as, over the years, he planted the rest of the estate to Cabernet Sauvignon.  In the 1980s, when phylloxera swept though California vineyards, it was the vines on St. George rootstock that turned out to resist the disease. Cohn has just finished replanting all the other estate vines he lost to phylloxera, but those old vines survive to this day to produce the winery’s top line B.R. Cohn Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.
Over the years, Cohn also had the foresight to enlist some of the best winemakers available to make his wine.  In the early years it was Helen Turley, then Merry Edwards in the 1990s, and now veteran winemaker Tom Montgomery, whose resume includes stints at Napa Cellars, Cosentino and Conn Creek.  Montgomery is continuing the tradition of great Cabernet Sauvignon at B.R. Cohn, and also upping the ante. His 2004 Petite Sirah beat out 2,000 other red wines to win the sweepstakes award at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition.
While the Olive Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (a perennial 92+ pointer among critics) remains the flagship wine at B.R. Cohn, the lineup has grown to satisfy the demands of the winery’s loyal wine club members. Now B.R. Cohn offers a wide range of varietals, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, a proprietary blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon (“Syrcab”) and a Cabernet Port.  
In recent years, Cohn has made visiting the winery more of an experience. Four years ago, the tasting room gained some extra elbow room when it was moved into the sprawling main house on the property. Two years ago, Cohn (who is also a car collector) gave up his beloved garage so his growing line of food products could have a stage of their own. Now winery guests can visit the tasting room and then head over to the gourmet shop to try the full line of olive oils, vinegars, mustards, chocolate sauces, herb rubs and olive tapenade.  
Cohn’s olive oil business came along in 1990, well before olive oil was trendy. Back then, the estate’s 140-year-old Picholine olive trees would drop their ripe black fruit, and it showed all too well on the family’s white carpets. Olive oil was Cohn’s very simple solution. Cohn still produces an extra virgin olive oil made from the estate, but has since added several other olive oils to the line. There’s also a balsamic and herb dipping oil Cohn developed in his kitchen and a full line of gourmet vinegars aged in the winery’s used oak barrels. More recently, Cohn introduced two delicious aged balsamic vinegars (a 15-year and a 25-year) imported from Italy.
Cohn notes that in the era of consolidation in the wine business, his winery is still family-owned and that “you’ll often see Cohns running around here.”  In fact, Bruce’s son Dan is now the winery’s National Sales Manager, his son Joe is the ranch manager and his daughters, Vallerie and Tasha will come on board as soon as they finish college. And, you’ll also find Bruce’s longtime canine pal Moose milling about the winery (or snoring in a corner). The bond between Bruce and Moose, as well as Bruce’s love for antique cars, has been commemorated by Sebastopol folk artist Patrick Amiot in two playful sculptures near the parking lot.
B.R. Cohn Winery is located at 15000 Sonoma Highway (Highway 12) in Glen Ellen and is open from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Related Information

• B.R. Cohn Winery