Wine of the Day (1-4-20): B.R. Cohn Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

B.R Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (SRP $25.99) is my value deal of the week. You can get this fresh, lush wine for $18.99 in New Hampshire – a whopping 27 percent discount – until February 20. If you buy a mixed case of 12 bottles, you can rack up another 15 percent savings.

Why do I like this Cab? The fruit is sourced from Sonoma County, including Bruce Cohn’s Olive Hills Estate Vineyard which comprises 55 acres of select vines and 150-year-old olive trees. The vines sit atop sandy soils and underground hot water springs. Winemaker Glenn Hugo, who joined the winery in 2018, is driven to make wines that capture the essense of this beautiful place, the former Glen Ellen dairy farm purchased by Bruce Cohn in 1974. Back then, Cohn wanted to become a grape grower when he wasn’t managing the behemoth Doobie Brothers rock band. According to B.R. Cohn’s website, Cohn’s farm pursuit provided a safe haven for his family and a bit of “sanity” from the grind of booking appearances for one of America’s top bands.

(Cohn managed the The Doobie Brothers for 45 years, until 2015. The group, which hit its peak in the 1970s and 1980s,  has sold 40 million albums worldwide.)

Cohn’s grape business took off and with the encouragement of a famous mentor, Charlie Wagner of Camus Vineyards, he launched his own winery in 1984.

While its B.R. Cohn’s ‘select block’ Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $100 a bottle, the “smart buy” is Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% alcohol). I tried a bottle over the holidays and was impressed by its depth of black fruit flavors, vanilla spice, and smooth texture. Overall, it represents good quality at a fair price.