After going through a period of post-bottling dormancy, Philip Togni's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon has really begun to show well from bottle over the last six months or so. Of course, the 2010 is far too young to deliver maximum pleasure, but it is nevertheless superb tonight. Beams of acidity and tannin give energy to the dark fruit and its accompanying floral/savory/mineral overtones. The 2010 is a classic Philip Togni wine that will thrill readers who appreciate classically built Cabernets. Recent bottles from the early 1990s and 2000s show just how much these wines transform when given the proper time to develop in bottle. At their best, Togni's wines bring together an Old World sensibility with Napa Valley richness, a pretty appealing combination, in my book.

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.