2004 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon has developed beautifully since I last tasted it. The early harvest produced an exotic, ripe wine built on intensity, breadth and power. Sweet tobacco, grilled herbs and cloves wrap around a core of blue/blackish fruit as this voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its considerable power. The 2004 will drink well for another 10-15 years. Today it is in a real sweet spot of total beauty.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, comes from steep mountain vineyards at the top of the Napa side of Spring Mountain. Aromas of black olives, tapenade, creme de cassis, licorice and truffles emerge from this opaque ruby/purple-colored, youthful 2004. Togni’s spiritual reference point is Bordeaux more than Napa Valley, and his wines seem to represent a hypothetical melange of those two distinctive schools of wine. Still backward, but rich, full-bodied and promising, this brilliant 2004 is 5-7 years away from its adolescence; it should age for 30-40 years. The iconic “mountain man,” Philip Togni has made many great wines that have clearly stood the test of time. The oldest vintages I have in my cellar go back to the mid-eighties, and I always recommend that purchasers of Togni’s wines forget them for at least ten years. Tel. (707) 963-3731; Fax (707) 963-9186

(this fall's library release): Excellent deep core of ruby. Musky, Bordeaux-like scents of raspberry, blackberry, truffle, licorice and nutty oak. Juicy and penetrating, with intense flavors of wild dark berries and spices. Not an opulent or particularly refined style owing to its firm acidity but tastes younger than its age. In fact, this wine is still a bit youthfully tight and should reward further aging. Finishes firmly tannic and long.