The Vintage.
2017 was a difficult vintage and, as we all know the year finished with devastating fires. Putting all that aside, those that got it right, got some spectacular results. In retrospect, the biggest problem the 2017 vintage faced was being flanked by 2015, 2016 and 2018 vintages that produced some exceptional wines. 2017 got lost a little but there is absolutely no reason to take it off the radar. Those vineyards that survived the heat spikes and picked at just the right time, ended up with some impressive wines and this Cabernet is most definitely a textbook example of just that.
History- a little background.
Philip Togni’s first brush with the wine business dates back to 1954, but a chance meeting with Professor Dr. Maynard Amarine- Davis University encouraged him to pursue a career in winemaking. Philip enrolled in the newly formed national winemaking program at the University of Bordeaux and under the guidance of famed pioneer winemaker Emile Peynaud, graduated in 1957 with a Diplôme National d’Oenologie. He was one of only five students to graduate that first year.
He moved to Napa in 1959 and spent the next 15 years making wine for several well -known Wineries before purchasing his first vineyard in Spring Mt in 1975 with the first vintage release in 1983. The winery is very much self-contained keeping control on every stage, with a focus on consistency and attention to detail. After 4 plus decades of making-wine they know what works and what doesn’t.
The Wine.
The Cabernet has a splash of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and is made to age- 10, 15 or 20 years. Today, Philip’s daughter Lisa is at the helm making the wine cutting her ‘wine-teeth’ in both Bordeaux, Australia and of course with her father.
It’s also interesting to note that in a blind tasting in Brussels Togni wines took honors over all the other California and Bordeaux producers represented and was thought to be a French Producer.
OK, let’s talk about the wine. The nose is both striking with enticing, high elevation dark fruits with subtle herbs with a mint note to complete the introduction. The palate is restrained and elegant and screams old world structure with attitude. Blackberries, cherries, red plums and currents dominate the palate with secondary notes of herbs, menthol and mint on a very long finish. Wonderful grippy tannins and excellent balance.
Those that are familiar with these wines know they are made to cellar and drink well into the future. If you have a desire to drink this sooner, I would definitely give this 6 – 8 hours decanting. Open it in the morning for dinner that evening. Your patience will be rewarded.
I would pair this with any big red meat dish, French Provincial, Beef Burgundy or Lamb and Venison at a pinch.
Vine to Table 