B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
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B.R. Cohn Winery hasconsistently producedone of the premierCabernets in Californiafrom their Olive HillEstate Vineyards in theheart of the SonomaValley. Undergroundnatural hot springs warmthe soil, and gentle oceanbreezes create a uniquemicroclimate perfectlysuited for growingCabernet Sauvignon.
The warm 2004 growingseason, along with a lightcrop and small concentratedberries produced afull-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with rich, ripe fruit. Thiswine has deep aromas of cherry, black currant, and plum,wrapped in French oak, anise and mint. Luscious berryand cherry flavors fill the palate, and silky tannins followthrough to a warm, lasting finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This bottling has got to be one of the most seriously underpriced Cabs in California. What you get is a firmly structured, tannic, complex 100% Cabernet, rich in currants and oak, that can proudly stand on the best table. Will take some age, too.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
This wine was first reviewed by CGCW some ten years ago, and our impressions then were that it might not be the first choice to lay away in the cellar as it had begun to show some rounding at the edges and early accessibility—the very things that worried most of us about the increasing ripeness trend in California wine. But, now that it has seen a decade of quiet in an appropriately cool and dark place, it has emerged as still nicely intact and ready for drinking. It has a bit of tannin left, but the cedary/cigar box notes in its makeup and the openness of its nature suggests that one need not wait any longer. Still, the wine is fifteen years old and not in the least decrepit—and key among its assets is its underlying balance that has kept it in such fine fettle across the years. $100 and 89 points initially.
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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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.