2016 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain Napa Valley 750 ml

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

We’re calling the 2016 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon the “Best in Class” of Spring Mountain and a hyper-collectible for the cellar. It shows layers and layers of complexity: black cherry, red plum, black currants laced with mint, cinnamon stick, and tobacco. Firm and inviting with great energy, showing its potential to cellar for at least a couple of decades. It’s also an absolute pleasure to drink right now, a commanding wine that will make a grand centerpiece at your dinner table.  

Vinous adorned this release with a 96-point ode, calling it a “regal...jewel of a wine from the Togni family.” Adding their own 96+ point score, with a “+” (which means it could land anywhere from 96-100), Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate found an “energetic” wine “framed by ripe, finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed.”

Like his previous vintages, Togni’s 2016 possesses power supported by high natural acidity, which is a hallmark of the vintage. What that translates to is a compact wine with deep flavors that unfurl through a vein of sheer freshness and energy—this is about as refined and sophisticated as Napa Cabernet comes. Togni is a master at crafting polished, not overly extracted, wines that are ripe and linear, defined and chiseled. If you’re familiar with the “old school” authentic Napa Cabernets of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, this will transport you right back there. For the uninitiated, it’s a master class in power and finesse.

Togni’s estate is perched 2,000 ft. up Spring Mountain in St. Helena in the same neighborhood as Keenan, Lokoya, Pride, Vineyard 7&8, and Smith-Madrone. Spectacular east-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. 

There are some wine producers that withstand the test of time, eschewing trends and leaving a true legacy in their wake. Since 1983, Philip Togni has been producing benchmark, age-worthy Cabernets from his Spring Mountain estate vineyard, and this is the greatest in a decade and a half. A must-have for the California Cabernet collector.