2014 Philip Togni Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 750 ml

Philip Togni has made over 50 vintages on three continents, as well as studying under Bordeaux’s father of modern winemaking — Emile Peynaud. Togni made wines in the 1950s at Second Growth Château Lascombes in Margaux, then crossed the pond to work at Mayacamas Vineyards in Napa in the 1960s, before landing at Chappellet where he crafted one of Napa Valley’s most legendary bottles of wine: the 1969 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon. Robert Parker even effused “Togni’s ‘69 may be one of the greatest California Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted.”

Togni’s estate is perched 2,000 feet up Spring Mountain in St. Helena. Spectacular eastern facing vineyards add contour and dimension to the sloping landscape. The Togni wines are dense and rich, while maintaining definition and agility. They show incredible integration in their youth, yet reward decades of bottle age. Like his previous vintages, this 2014 possesses tremendous power and energy, and remains highly refined and sophisticated. All of these attributes speak to the soul of a wine, which is much more difficult to define or create, than flavor.

Decanter’s 98-point review found the 2014 Philip Togni “beautifully complex,” “silky and refined,” and labeled it “a supremely graceful Cabernet.” Antonio Galloni’s Vinous rated it 97 and called it “deep, beautifully layered,” and said “the 2014 is built on energy and aromatics that won’t hit its stride until at least age 10.”