Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 2014Napa Valley

Last fall when we were meeting with the PerUs team and their winemaker Russell Bevan for dinner, they stopped by my tasting room beforehand so we could taste the new vintage of PerUs. Russell looked around at our selection of wines and immediately stopped when he saw the Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon on our shelf. He told me this was one of his favorite wines and that Philip Togni was one of his mentors. After thinking it through a little bit, it made sense to me. While we would equate them as having different wine styles they have very similar work ethic and dedication to their craft. Coming from their 10-acre vineyard about 2000 feet in elevation on Spring Mountain, this 2014 “is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It seems slightly more approachable and civilized for a young Togni wine, with a dense ruby/purple color, loads of blackcurrant, licorice, and graphite, some earth and spice, but very subtle earth nuances. It is full-bodied and rich, but the tannins are well-integrated and don’t scream as loudly as some vintages of Togni can. For Togni, this is probably one of his more forward and precociously styled Cabernets. It will probably approach drinkability in several years, but don’t discount its aging potential, as this easily has 20-25 years of cellaring potential.” – Wine Advocate.