Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

Complex nose with lime zest and stones. Good wine, creamy, though the dosage feels a little high. — 8 days ago

magicolen

9.3

sanft und fruchtig. auch 2019 ein toller Wein — 4 years ago

Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.4

100% Garnacha . I have never had a wine that was like biting in to a strawberry on the mid palate . So long and very good ! — 4 years ago

Robert Brown

8.9

Would drink again, great with food. Helen's. 15.5 medium bodied but wouldn't know it. — 5 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.0

Super bone dry. Has a pear skin and like a cherry pit brightness. The excellence of manzanilla personified — 6 years ago

Michael Silveira

9.0

Full bodied — 8 years ago

Rick Fisher

9.0

At its peak right now. — 10 years ago

Josh Schmillen

9.8

Wow!
Blanc de blancs!
Must try if you find it — 10 years ago

Mitali P

9.3

Excellent! Had at Dillon beach house — 3 months ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.1

Green fruit and long tart, salty acids. Not subtle, but lots of character. — 4 years ago

Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.3

A stunning red , of very high quality . Juicy , red fruits . Subtle oak , perfect balance . 100% Tempranillo. Beautiful . This is what I want to drink from Rioja — 4 years ago

G Faul

9.2

The Society’s Fino (Sanchez Romate)
NOT The Exhibition Fino. — 5 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.0

Röda äpplen, honung, nougat, mogna citroner, kex och vissa gräsiga/örtiga undertoner. Tydliga snäckskal och fin mineralitet. Öppnar knastrigt i texturen men övergår snabbt åt klunkvänliga håller. Stora glas för denna! — 8 years ago

Thomas Brenner

9.2

This wine was so good to me that I could 'Dirty Sanchez' a vagabond...just to be nice and treat people the way I wanna be treated...like the winemaker musta been feeling when he made this Chard. I just got bumrushed by those amaymay Fort Ross Chard flavors...in a good way. Full bodied, like the old, more likeable Al Roker. — 8 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.5

Winemaker Alex Sanchez is about as nice of a guy as I could imagine. So nice in fact, he brought this amazing decade old Cru Barolo from his personal cellar to share with us... Yet again, like all of his wine, the age hardly shows. Confident and elegant, there's so much dance in this wine. It's athletic and full of finesse, but feminine and timeless. If I knew anything about ballet, I would make a ridiculous comparison to a famous ballerina...good thing I don't. — 10 years ago

with Raymond

Henry Luiker

9.2

Lovely structured Nebbiolo recommended by sommelier at Felicin, Montfort d’Alba, as requested. 35 euros, you gotta be kidding. With Curly and Garcia/Sanchez. — 9 months ago

Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.6

Stunning! Yes it’s on the expensive side but you can understand why . This is serious , such perfect balance . I would love to come back to this wine in 10 years . One of the best Spanish wines I have ever tasted ! Look out for Carlos Sánchez !!! — 4 years ago

Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.0

Very small producer , with stunning wines . The new Rioja ….. this is 100% Viura . There is a lovely salt minerality in this wine . Lovely — 4 years ago

Jordi Pazo

9.2

Microví. 27.04.19
24.05.20 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

One of my favorite Napa producers & vintages from Philip Togni.

On the nose, ripe, perfumed florals, creamy fruits of; blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, plum and strawberries on the glass edges. Vibrant baking spices; vanilla, light cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark smooth spices, mocha chocolate with caramel, dark berry cola, notes of black licorice, sweet tar, forest floral, fresh tobacco leaf, just a touch of dry herbs, graphite, loamy clay and dark, fresh red florals with lavender & violets.

The body is, round, ruby, lush & full. The structure, tension, length have just tipped to the very beginnings of the waning stage but, the balance is incredible. Ripe, perfumed florals, creamy fruits of; blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, plum and strawberries on the glass edges. Vibrant baking spices; vanilla, light cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark smooth spices, mocha chocolate with caramel, dark berry cola, chalky volcanic minerals with some grit, crushed dry rocks, notes of black licorice, sweet tar, forest floral, tobacco with ash, soft leather, saddle-wood, some underbrush, just a touch of dry herbs, graphite, loamy clay and dark, fresh red florals with lavender & violets. The round acidity is near perfect. The long, round, ripe, ruby, lush, well balanced finish sings on the palate for minutes.

Photos of, the Philip Togni vineyard, cellar staff-Salvador Sanchez, Philip Togni and his daughter Lisa and their barrel room.

Producer notes and history...Philip Togni was born in England and earned a degree (the Dipome National d’Oenologie) at the University of Bordeaux under Emile Peynaud. World famous Winemaker & mega Wine Consultant Michel Rolland also studied under Emile.

After his studies, Philip Togni moved to the Napa Valley in 1959. His first job was planting vines at Mayacamas.

In his career, he has been the Winemaker for Chalone, Chappellet, Cuvaison, Gallo, Inglenook and Sterling before starting his own winery.

Philip Togni was the Winemaker at Chapellet when they made one of the top wines from the 1960’s, the legendary 1969 Chapellet.

Philip Togni Vineyards were founded in 1975 when he purchased 25 acres atop Spring Mountain at an elevation of 2,000 feet. It took until 1981 to plant the vineyard. Sadly, he had to replant in the early 1990’s due to phylloxera.

The winery released its first vintage in 1983, a Sauvignon Blanc. However, he no longer produces white wine.

It took a few more years until the first Cabernet Sauvignon wines were produced at the estate. The debut vintage for Philip Togni Cabernet was the 1985 vintage. The initial vintages of Philip Togni were 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Philip Togni does not produce wines with high alcohol. A style from Napa that is sorely missed by me.

The style of his wines are Left bank. Left Bank wines had a big influence on his winemaking and the estate. However, if you have ever spent time looking at his labels for alcohol levels, they’re nowhere to be found.

During the 1980’s, the BATF allowed wineries to state that their wine had the alcoholic strength of a table wine, which was around 7% to 14%. For wineries that had not requested to change their labels, those wineries were not forced to provide specific percent of alcohol. If their labels remain unchanged from their label during the 1980’s, they were only required to state the wine as table wine.

The vineyard contains rocky and clay soils at 2,000 feet. Like Howell Mountain, the vineyard is well above the fog line, which allows for more sunlight and riper fruit.

The Estate is planted to 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Philip Togni makes three wines:

Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged in 40% new, French oak barrels for an average of 20 months before bottling.

Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, powerful, tannic when wine young. PT requires longer cellar time. It’s made from ripe mountain fruit that can easily take a 10 to 20 year to fully mature. And trust me, it is closer to 20 years of aging before it’s ready to drink.

Philip Togni also produces a second wine called “Tanbark Hill.” It’s named after a prominent hill near the Estate. Tanbark Hill is a 3 1/2-acre parcel of young vines. A very good second wine for less money.

The third wine is Philip Togni Ca’ and is sweet red dessert wine that is produced from the grape, Black Hamburgh. This grape was popular in the Napa Valley before Prohibition. Black Hamburgh is also know as Black Muscat. It is a grape variety derived from the crossing of the Schiava Grossa and Muscat of Alexandria by R. Snow of Bedforshire, England in 1850, according to my studies.

Philip Togni remains a family Winery. The estate is managed by Philip Togni (in his 90’s), his wife Brigitta Togni and their daughter Lisa Togni. In time, it is expected that Lisa Togni will take over the estate.

— 8 years ago