Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2019 750ml

Pure savoury black magic. The 2019 offers deeply penetrating black-toned fruit laced with black olive and walnut husk. It has gorgeous texture and acidity, which brings forward riper blackberry fruit and raspberry on the palate, coupled with sandalwood and scorched wild herbs. Fine-grained tannins frame a muscular structure with immense grip. Tobacco and cedarwood are masterfully integrated throughout this utterly beguiling red. Decanter’s William Kelley has written, ‘Philip [Togni] and his daughter Lisa are producing wines that deserve to be recognised as some of the most authoritative, classical Cabernets in all California’, and my tastings concur fully with Kelley’s assessment. I would add that the winery’s practice of ageing wine at the winery is remarkably rare for a Californian producer. Those fortunate enough to taste a 20 or 30-year-old Togni family wine from the winery will earn a well-deserved window into the ageability of a well-built, tightly-knit California Cabernet. Grapes harvested off the steepest, rockiest vineyard blocks of their 4-hectare estate are used to make the Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet, while the rest goes into Tanbark Hill Vineyard, their second wine. Since 1997, the flagship Togni Cabernets are all an exacting blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, which is how their vineyard is planted.