Meritage is a word used to distinguish wines that are made in the style of red Bordeaux but without infringing on that region's legally protected designation of origin. Winemakers must license the right to use the trademark "Meritage" for their wines from The Meritage Association, based in California. The Meritage designation is primarily used in the United States, but in recent years some wineries in other countries have also started to use the designation. 

Most American wines are labeled after the grape variety that comprises at least 75% of that wine. A label with "Cabernet Sauvignon" indicates that the wine is comprised of 75% or more of the grape variety Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Meritage Association (www.meritagewine.org)was formed in 1988 by a small group of Napa Valley, California vintners: Agustin Huneeus (then of Franciscan Winery, now of Quintessa Winery), Mitch Cosentino (Cosentino Winery), Julie Garvey (Flora Springs Winery). These vintners, among others, were becoming increasingly frustrated by U.S. BATF regulations stipulating that a wine must contain at least 75% of a specific grape to be designated as that varietal on the label. As interest grew in creating blended Bordeaux-style wines, the members sought to create a recognizable name associated with high-quality blended wines, instead of merely labelling them as "Red Table Wine" (or "White Table Wine") or giving them proprietary names unique to the winery.

In 1988, the association hosted a contest to conceive of a name for these wines which received over 6,000 submissions. Neil Edgar of  Newark, California won by suggesting "Meritage" —a combination of the words merit and heritage (and which rhymes with the latter.). As a reward for winning this contest, Mr. Edgar was awarded two bottles of the first ten vintages of every wine licensed to use the Meritage brand. 

Many retailers and restaurateurs are now responding to demand for Meritage wines by stocking or listing them separately in their stores and wine lists.

Red Meritage

A blend of two or more of the following varieties:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Cabernet Franc
• Malbec
• Petit Verdot
• St. Macaire
• Carmenere
• Gros Verdot 

No single variety may make up more than 90 percent of the blend.

White Meritage

A blend of two or more of the following varieties:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Semillon
• Sauvignon Vert

No single variety may make up more than 90 percent of the blend. 

The beauty of blended wines like Bordeaux and Meritage is that they are delicious to drink without necessarily needing a lot of aging.

Founded by Bruce Cohn in 1984 in the heart of Sonoma Valley, B.R. Cohn Winery is renowned for producing balanced, elegant wines that maintain a standard of excellence from year to year. Cohn purchased the property in 1974 and named it Olive Hill Vineyards, after the rare French Picholine olive trees that surround the property. His first winemaker was the now-famous Helen Turley. The microclimates Olive Hill Estate experiences make the property ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, resulting in wines of great intensity. Situated above natural underground hot springs, Olive Hill Estate enjoys warm soils and a naturally frost free environment during the growing season. Gentle ocean breezes create cool nighttime temperatures, while warmer than average days result in an extended growing season.

The tasting room was the original house on the property and Bruce Cohn’s former home. The house was used as a stagecoach stop for Wells Fargo, where horses on their route from Santa Rosa to Sonoma stopped to be watered.

The vineyards surrounding the winery are planted mostly in cabernet sauvignon grapes, with some pinot noir, zinfandel, petite sirah, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec. Syrah (sold only from the tasting room) and Chardonnay is grown in the Carneros region.

The winery's flagship 1985 and 1986 Olive Hill Cabernets were ranked among the top ten in America and top 50 in the World by Wine Spectator, which gave each a rating of 94 out of 100. The 2003 vintage was rated 93. The North Cost Petit Syrah was one of two red "sweepstakes winners" at the prestigious 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Bruce Cohn, founder and proprietor of B.R. Cohn Winery, has embraced a lifelong passion for Northern California’s wine country and its bounty. An equally strong passion for music led to a parallel career in the music industry as the manager for one of rock ‘n’ roll’s perennially favorite American bands, The Doobie Brothers. His down-to-earth attitude, focus and dedication have made both careers flourishing successes to this day. 

Bruce’s roots in Sonoma County agriculture run deep. He became familiar with ranch and vineyard operations at an early age, when his family left Chicago for Sonoma’s Russian River Valley to open Northern California’s first grade-A goat dairy farm. 

 When Bruce was 10 years old, he spent his free time milking goats, picking grapes and playing in old wine vats. Another move to San Francisco during high school exposed Bruce to the vibrant Bay Area music scene of the 1960s. After graduating from high school, Bruce went on to the College of San Mateo, majoring in broadcasting & communications. He later finished his studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Bruce returned to San Francisco in 1968 for a job working nights as a television engineer for two years while running a music rehearsal studio by day. In 1969, Bruce began managing the then local band, The Doobie Brothers, and the rest, as they say, is history. Bruce continues to manage the now-legendary band to this day.

Entertainment world success notwithstanding, Bruce was eventually drawn back to the beauty of wine country. To keep some sanity and preserve quality of life, he purchased an old dairy in Glen Ellen in 1974 that evolved into Olive Hill Estate Vineyard, so-named for the property’s grove of 140-year-old French Picholine olive trees. Bruce purchased books on viticulture and read them during long periods of traveling with the band. He soon became intensely involved with all aspects of growing grapes, from planting and pruning to grafting and trellising techniques. A decade after taking ownership of the land and having great success selling grapes to other wineries, Bruce started B.R. Cohn Winery at Olive Hill in 1984.

Bruce and his family live in the Sonoma Valley where he runs both the winery and his music business from the property. He has made the Olive Hill Estate Vineyard a true family wine estate.

Tom Montgomery has been leading the winemaking operations at B.R Cohn Winery since 2003. He brings over twenty years of experience and a history of rich, concentrated award-winning wines that follow in the tradition of those made by previous B.R. Cohn winemakers Helen Turley and Merry Edwards.

Tom credits his love of winemaking to his upbringing in a picturesque central California farming community in a home where good food and wine were a way of life. These formative years set the stage for an evolutionary path towards his winemaking career.

After earning a degree in enology from California State University, Fresno, he spent five years in the Napa Valley where he worked for the original Napa Cellars. He then moved to San Luis Obispo to spend four years in a dual role as vineyard manager and winemaker. Tom returned to Napa, first to Cosentino and then, in 1997, to Conn Creek for six vintages where he produced the trademark Bordeaux blend ‘Anthology’, gathering innumerable awards and much critical acclaim. He then continued his education for an MBA with an emphasis in marketing and management.

"Our winemaking philosophy", Tom says, "is to produce wine that is an expression of the land we farm and the vineyards we receive grapes from. We make wine to preserve and enhance the character of each grape variety and vineyard we harvest. And, that pleases our customers."

In the vineyard, Tom works intimately with each block, farming by taste. With a focus on aroma and balanced flavors, Tom picks some blocks row by row, taking into consideration the differences in terrior. He requires thinning of both canopy and crop, when nature doesn’t, to achieve optimum berry development and concentration.

Tom loves the hands-on nature of his work and is committed to making the absolute best wines possible here at B.R. Cohn Winery. 

Being big fans of  'Meritage', we enjoyed this wine over dinner at 'The Venue' (see September's Restaurant Profile) in St. Petersburg, FL. The 2006 B.R. Cohn SyrCab is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Vineyard and Syrah grapes grown in specially selected Sonoma Valley vineyards. This wine is as unique as its trademark name.

The combination of these two varietals produces a wine with exotic briar, plum and black cherry fruit, surrounded by mocha, caramel, smoke and a hint of mint and earth. Aging for 18 months in premium French oak barrels produces a wine of complexity and balance with silky tannins and a smooth, long finish. 

TECHNICAL DATA
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Blend: 77% Sonoma Valley Syrah, 23% Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.6%
Aged: 18 months in premium French oak barrels
Cases Produced: 900

In addition to producing award winning wines at B.R. Cohn, Bruce Cohn has managed The Doobie Brothers for over 35 years. 

The 2005 Collector Series is the fourth limited production set and is produced from a special blend of premium Bordeaux varietals with exceptional rich flavors of black cherry and plum. Aging with premium French oak adds to a smooth, long finish.

The 2005 Doobie Red Series contains:

"One Step Closer"

"Best Of Volume II"

This wine was produced in memory of Keith Knudsen, long time drummer for The Doobie Brothers since 1974. Proceeds for this wine are donated to the National Veterans Foundation.

15000 SONOMA HIGHWAY • GLEN ELLEN, CA 95442 • TELEPHONE 707/938-4064 • FAX 707-938-4585 • WWW.BRCOHN.COM