Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Every time I taste Philip Togni's 2013, the more profound it seems. Bursting from the glass with complex aromas of red and black fruit, burning embers, pungent violet, rich cocoa and incipient tobacco leaf, on the palate the wine is incredibly deep, concentrated and three-dimensional. Right now it's shutting down and deserves to snooze for at least a decade before it begins to unful and reveal all its magic. Philip and his daughter Lisa are producing wines that deserve to be recognised as some of the most authoratative, classical Cabernets in all California.
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Vinous
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is every bit as magnificent as it always has been. The stars clearly aligned in what was a magical vintage for the Togni family. A deep, brooding wine, the 2013 has the intensity, pedigree and complexity to develop for several decades. In subsequent tastings, the 2013 has been consistently special, a truly distinguished Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon of the very highest level. Stated simply, this is as good as it gets.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers up a crème de cassis, violets, dark chocolate and licorice core with nuances of lavender, unsmoked cigars, beef drippings and iron pan plus a touch of baking spices. Medium to full-bodied with a solid frame of plush tannins and great freshness, it has a wonderful core of muscular fruit and plenty of power juxtaposed by bags of finesse in the multilayered finish.
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Wine Spectator
Alluring, with smoldering tobacco, menthol, sage, steeped cassis and bitter plum fruit paste flavors that meld through the finish, picking up smoke, tar and savory accents along the way. Still grippy and should age slowly. Best from 2020 through 2038.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.