Unfortunately nothing (yet) unique about this wine. Could be any Cab blind. This could be anything. I reserve judgment for now. Cellared upon release. Balanced...but not special.
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I would put this 2001 up against any wine out there of the same age. This drinks brilliantly with so much fruit still present. A fantastic experience. Ready to go upon opening and did evolve over a few hours.
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An exceptional wine that was well worth the wait! Drinking beautifully, with super silky tannins, a great finish, and just a hint of early bricking on the edge of the glass (but tremendous acidity suggests this can hold on for many years to come).
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Surprisingly excellent. Not a hint of “over the hill”. Color still intense, little or no brick. Nose of violets, extremely well balanced in the mouth. We really enjoyed. So glad we sprung for a few bottles!
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At a perfect place. Tannins and fruit perfectly integrated, drank marvelously from a magnum, the finish goes on and on, there is dark fruit, leathers, lamb and steak, I don’t really have the words. An amazing value still.
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Slow Ox for 4 hours, and it got better over dinner of the following 2 hours. Overripe black and red fruits, but not jammy. Dried herbs and some sage, sweet Oak, touch of spice. Long fine tannins. Almost no sediment to speak of. Very smooth and lovely modern Cali Cab with some older Cali Cab elements retained.
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I drank a 2000 6 months ago and this 2001 is every bit as good. Everything you'd want from a pristine 22 year old Cabernet. Going strong for hours after opening. The journey is wonderful.
Carafé 5 heures…je jouais un peu avec le feu, 3 heures auraient peut-être suffi. Mais il ne m’en a pas voulu, loin s’en faut.
Nez de cerises rouges, mentholé, avec des herbes grillées. Le vin est encore fougueux, puissant, avec une présence d’alcool moins bien dissimulée que sur d’autres millésimes. Mais quand on pardonne ce petit défaut, le vin impressionne par sa profondeur et sa complexité aromatique fascinante.
Un vin dense et séveux, viril certes, mais sans excès de testostérone (i.e. extraction ou bois). Longue finale, sur des nuances épicées, de tabac, de cerises et de garrigue. Un régal. 94-95 pts
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Relatives gifted a Heitz Trailside Vineyard Cab of the same vintage to me years ago. I held Heitz waiting for the “right” time to showcase it. As the years went by, I’d been tempted to open it for one occasion or another but for whatever reason, held off. And with just a few days’ notice the same relatives who gifted the wine to me announce that they are coming to Virginia. What better time to pull this special bottle! (Heitz bottle number 15,383 of 41,316). The corks on both the Heitz and Togni (of the same vintage) crumbled using a waiter’s friend. The ahso worked on the balance of the Heitz but couldn’t save the Togni where the final half had to be shoved into the bottle and strained into a decanter. The Heitz was notably darker in color shading to plum with the Togni being more of a red brick. Both displayed noses of plum and cassis with appearances by cherry, mint, cedar, roasted tomatoes, and sweet herbs. The Heitz had more cassis while the Togni showed more cherry. The Heitz carried more weight and flash than the Togni, but the table was split over which wine it favored making for some interesting conversation. Both wines delivered long, rich finishes with the Togni giving more cedar on the finish and the Heitz delivering mint and mocha. Both wines are a treat to drink. Both show some sediment at the shoulder with the Togni throwing a bit more along the side and broader around the shoulder. Neither bottle specifies percent of alcohol (so 12%-14%) and likely between 12% and 13%. With giant grilled beef ribeyes as said relatives join us for Easter eve dinner after their big day at Poplar Forest. 04.16.22. Both Highly Recommended.
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Very interesting coming on the heels two nights earlier of an '01 Screaming Eagle as the two offer as far different an experience as can be found in high-end California cabernets. As opposed to perfect but not overly lush fruit of the latter, the Togni exhibited plenty of higher toned black and red fruits but overshadowed by an exuberant brambly backbone, making for a bracing, untamed pleasure.
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Again quite rought around the edges, deep notes of black pudding and iron, muscular and strong tannin, not sure this will develop into something more refined...
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Still a deep, almost impenetrable, purple belying its age. Very dark fruited, especially noticeable as it was drunk along some classified Bordeauxs of a similar age. This showed tar, boot polish, creosote, licorice and a hint of vanilla on the nose and delivered a plushly textured, full-bodied blast of dark fruit and an incredibly long finish. Excellent.
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A dark, opaque ruby color. Bouquet of mature black fruits, herbs and cut hay. The palate suggest this wine was once very powerful and I’m lucky to have never tasted it prior to now. This is extremely tasty and a well aged Napa Cab, yet the tannins suggest it has some time left. Nice longish finish
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Similar To last Bottle and to my taste, time to drink up. Fruit is mature and tannin resolved and don’t think it gets better. Some sweetness but also fading a bit. Very nice wine
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3 hour decant and it needed it. This tannins were still firm but long and yet pliable. Ripe black fruits but some lovely overripe blueberry as well. Some sage/herbs underneath with sweet Oak. 20 second finish. A full tablespoon of sediment but not loss of color.
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Decanted for 90 minutes, which was a good idea. There was a touch of soy on the nose right after I poured it into the decanter. but thankfully this blew off with proper aeration. This opened up beautifully and is a mature left bank style California Cabernet. While somewhat Pauillac in style, the sweetness of the fruit is a tell tale signature of Spring Mtn. fruit. I’m glad I waited 19 years to open this bottle. This should plateau for another 5-10 years but I don’t expect it will improve much more. Drink or Hold.
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A bit shy and short of my last bottle. This was missing the old world Togni style. Missing the herbiscus notes and dare I say a tad disjointed? No worries. Wrong night for this. But when on, the 01 Togni is decadent.
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Light, complex nose with herbs and flowers layered over berry skins. Crème de cassis, violet candies, vanilla bean, fleshy plums. Moderate power with a bright, medium-length finish and velvety tannins.
Right out of the bottle, I didn’t know what to think, as it was very shy. It’s nose developed over about 30 minutes.
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Cork broke and wine is showing its age for sure but that's not all bad. This wine is mature and subtle/precise as described. Would have been curious to see what night 2 was like but we did not give that a chance. Certainly can more than hold its own with left bank Bdx....this is not a Cali fruit bomb
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Extraordinary precision and length here with balanced rather than the over-extracted fruit as with many modern cabs that just lay there on the palate. Day 2 this tasted more like a left bank Bordeaux than any Cali cab in recent memory.
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Cork broke while opening. The cork was so sealed to the glass that I could not push it through but using a strong plastic chopstick I was able to create a hole in the cork. Interesting. Decanted for one hour and enjoyed with prime steaks. Medium ruby with a bit of lightening at the rim. Nice forest nose. Tannins mostly resolved. Elegant with a long finish. Time to drink IMHO.
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100% Spring Mountain cab. I let it breathe 1 hour. Drank over 2. Dried out cork broke on opening, but no problem. Bottle was fine. Consistent w/past notes, this is one of the less dense Napa cabs I've had recently. Like a dense pinot. So if you prefer something less concentrated, this is for you. This bottle did not exhibit the "old wine" flavors I got from my last bottle, so maybe my last bottle was damaged. The tannins are mellow and polished. Solid acidity. I get forest floor and sweetness out of it.... Huge drop off on day 2. So try to enjoy in one sitting if you can.
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Opened for virtual tasting with Phil and Lisa Togni. One of their favorite vintages. Dark brick red in color with aromas of earthy black cherry and herbs. Still showing nice dark red fruits with good spice and depth with some early signs of nuance from age. Well balanced with a good backbone of acid. Built for the long haul, just in early adolescence, a long way to go, but quite good now. Thanks Don E. for setting up this special evening despite COVID quarantine.
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Used these for a blind virtual / zoom tasting; filled from magnum into 4 oz bottles the day before the tasting, and then distributed to our Delaware Valley Chaine members across the Philadelphia area. Showed extremely young, with a purple core and turning towards garnet at the rim. Quite primary, with pure notes of cassis, blackberry, hints of flowers, spice box. None of the roasted herbs that I usually find with Togni, either with the 4 oz bottles, or from a magnum tasted the next day. Showed much younger than the 05 Grand Puy Lacoste. I'll save my remaining magnums until 2030!
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It needed 2 hours in the decanter before it fully opened. A tablespoon of fine sediment. Tannins are still firm but smooth after 2 hours. Blackberries, black currant, some sage brush and sweet Oak. 30 second finish. 94 points once the tannins are resolved?
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, forest floor, cassis and plums. Flavors of cassis, boysenberries, plums and tart red cherries. Medium to tangy acidity, medium tannin. full bodied. Drink or hold.
From Magnum. Well, this is a LOT of fruit, still some unresolved tannin. Deep, dark and rich. Not picking up ANY secondary aromas from this wine after having popped the cork and letting it sit for a few hours. I',m surprised at how backwards this wine is. Unmistakably and unapologetically Californian in this format, and that sometimes can be a bit monolithic hence my reduced score. Maybe this develops in 10 years. I honestly wouldn't touch another bottle in magnum until 2030. It has the size, will it ever have the complexity??? If so 93 is very conservative.
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I love this stuff! Explosive nose that makes no apologies. This wine is in a great place. Herbal, green, and mushroom all converge for an intoxicating bright red fruit nose. Smooth palate and long delicious finish. Togni never disappoints. Drink now because it’s fantastic or hold for another 5 years.
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I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 3. I agree with RP/WA that the wine has a meaty nose. It's a medium-bodied wine. This bottle (and maybe the wine generally) has some "old wine" flavors (comparable to flavors I've gotten from 1980s vintage wines I've opened) that suggest to me that, sadly, it's well past its prime. Not sure why anyone would wait. Drink now. I considered not scoring on the possibility that the bottle is flawed but don't think it's flawed.
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First bottle from a case purchased on release. Opened about 15 minutes before dinner, but did not decant. Served in Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glasses. Rich dark red in the glass, nearly black in the center with no bricking at the rim. The nose was shy at first and remained a little subdued throughout, showing mostly dark fruits - cherries, I said, while Jonathan said cassis - and a cheeky gingerbread background. There was no sign of the green pepper element sometimes found in classic Togni, and the oak element was nicely blended into the whole, not overt. On the palate, the youthful fruit was in the forefront, with some tannic grip, but not showing tight or drying at all. I got the feeling she was just starting to loosen her corset and breathe freely. The mouthfeel was velvety plush,with just enough tickle of acid to keep it lively. I'm sure there was a lot going on if I'd stopped to think about it, but I couldn't be bothered, it was too much fun to drink. It opened up a bit over the course of dinner, but didn't change a whole lot. Then again, it didn't need to, as it was beautiful, full of pleasure, and a great match with 60 day dry aged Flannery strip steaks. While thoroughly enjoyable at this stage, there's no doubt it has another 10 good years of development ahead of it, if not more.
45th Birthday Celebration (Chez Nanda): Decanted for a couple of hours. Classic Togni in that it shows Bordeaux character and structure in a California package. This is an awesome vintage that is really still in its infancy. Maybe another 5-10 years before it unfolds. Delicious now, but upside from here.
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"You only turn 45 once" (Chicago, IL): This stuff is awesome; definitely on the young side (especially after a big older vertical of the wines), but it is clearly a wine of the same pedigree and style. Ripe pyrazines, sweet black fruit, and a dusty tannic structure that is all nicely balanced by good acids and very judicious oak use. The only problem with this wine is that it's too young! In 10-15 years, this will be a superstar.
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A friend brought this bottle last night to the Symphony of the Americas dinner and tasted along several superlative wines. This 2001 Cab was still dark and showed minimal signs of aging even after a 3 hour decant. The color was deep purple and the palate was full of lush dark fruit, cassis, blackberry and earthy chewiness. This still has some life in it and will store for a while longer. Decant and drink over a 4 hour period all by yourself it you are allowed to LMAO.
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PY97 - 2019.09.20 2001 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
As soon as the cork was pulled, a wave of black fruits just jumped out of the bottle. Gorgeous dark ruby color in the glass with zero sign of bricking. Melody of black fruits that's so soothing and expressive on the nose, with notes of vanilla, violet, and even a touch of graphite. Just one sip, shows off the perfect balance of fruit, tannin, and acidity. The rush of black fruits is accompanied by minerals and graphite, best of power and elegance combined. Great mid-palate with a lingering finish of more than 60 seconds. This is a wine that's entering optimal drinking window and possibly with room to improve, as it's still showing a small amount of baby fat.
*** Philipe Togni is 93 years young this year, he's absolutely right in telling us his wine needs at least 10 years of aging to be opened. I've only visited him once over 10 years ago, will definitely make a point to see him on my next trip back to Napa.
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Simply delicious -- and will still last for years. I emailed Philip Togni a compliment and, to my surprise, he emailed me back, suggesting that he finds the 2010 comparable.
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Still very dark with slight fade at rim. Absolutely gorgeous nose of cassis, blackberry, and forest notes. Blackfruit flavours are delivered with intensity and lots of complexity comes from the cedar, earth and mineral notes. While some Napa Cabs lean toward the sweet side of the spectrum, this wine definitely sits on the savoury side. The finish is long and spice-infused. The mouthfeel is terrific: medium+ body, good acidity and lots of ripe, polished tannins. There is definitely a Bordeaux-like sense to this wine with its savoury and elegant qualities. On point now but showing the balance and fruit to go another decade, maybe even two. Extraordinary. www.advinetures.ca
Just delicious. Still dark, nose full of pure cassis, smoke, toast and foresty notes. Smooth and perfectly mature with silly tannins. Lovely 18 year old cab with plenty of life left in it.
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A really beautiful wine overall. Great nose. A little bit of heat on the finish but I think it is still young. In five more years, it will reach its peak. A little green bell pepper notes along with the traditional creme de cassis, Cabernet flavor profile. Nose of pine needles and forest floor. One bottle left that I will save for 2023.
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The magenta tinged rim quickly turns to ox-blood red through the core. The wine gives off an almost lacquer like sheen. The nose is big with cedar dominating at first, but as the wine opens and it finds itself there are elements of cherry liqueur, cassis, anise and thankfully, no dill. The first taste when just opened is a window to enjoyment: rich nose of cassis and tobo. Forty-five minutes later, cassis, plum, tobo leaf and cedar smoke are wrapped in smooth tannins. While powerful, the balance of the wine reflects the deft hand behind it. This is classic Togni. Sediment coats the “down” side of the neck of the bottle and a small thumbnail of thick, fine grained sediment oozes out with the final pour. Per usual Togni, no percent of alc. listed (meaning its under 14%). With seared (beef) ribeyes. Recommended but leaning toward Highly Recommended.
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In a totally different gear than the 70's cabs, but just as sensational. Tons of luxurious fruit and heft, but this eschewed any heat or heaviness and has enough minerals, brightness and bitterness to keep it grounded and interesting. Tons of minty-tarragon-green notes on the nose that gives it a real freshness. Really hard to resist. This might get a bit more nuanced with more time, but fully in the zone tonight. 93-94 pts.
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Soft red berries, chocolate and sweet spices in the bouquet. On the palate juicy red berries, firm but good acidity, a bit musty and rustic. Overall a complex and beautiful wine.
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I thought this one started off really nice. Had a nice red fruit character to it. Mint. Spice cookie. And a little bit of black cherry and some herb towards the finish with a little bit of cola. As it sat however, I was almost getting a weedy almost brett like character on the finish. I have had one vintage older than this and one quite a bit younger than this. Both of them did not seem to have this character. I think this bottle might have been a tad bit off. Bordeaux style, and enjoyable. This is right in the prime of drinking IMO.
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Decanted 2.5 hours and drank over dinner. Beautiful aged Napa cab with dried fruit and herbs, mature tannins, coffee bean notes and a touch of leather on the finish. Continued to soften without losing flavor over another 2.5 hours. These are great classic aged wines.
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Requires decanting, a good 30 minute was a must for the wine to get into a happy place. not as impressiive as 2&3 years ago ( Papies 95) but still very solid. Maybe a bottle issue or maybe the wine was not there. In any case very classic Bordeaux, St Julien in a way ( Nicol who tried this blind was ready to bet the house on it), well evolved albeit with very little secondary notes. Still on the fruit, nice dark fruited side, touch of smoky edge. Its in a way a relatively forward Togni and is now drinking very nicely and a lot more giving than some of the 90s. Very pure this is bordeaux made in Napa and is not hunting for Parker points. For those like us who like the classic, touch austere, reserved wines this like many of Togni wines is another masterclass. 93 this time and with very solid life ahead
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Cork crumbled, so decanted through strainer and 30 minutes before drinking. A bit longer decant might have better since the last glass was the best. Complex nose of red and more black fruit. Still a little restrained. Wonderful balance in the mouth, with that Bordeaux-like combination of power and elegance that marks Togni.
Ready to drink, but more positive evolution ahead and another decade or so before decline. Excellent.
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Still a tightly wound wine. Blackberries, eucalyptus, black cherry, vanilla Oak and hints of tobacco. Very smooth but with firm tannins. Lots of upside still on this one. This wine has evolved quite a bit since my first bottle and its characteristics are still not fully formed.
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Nez de cerises avec des notes mentholées. Le vin est encore bien jeune, pas très expressif, voire monolithique. Il n'a pas encore développé la complexité dont il est capable. Il lui faut presque deux heures de carafe pour révéler plus que sa puissance naturelle. Il manque de nuances à ce stade, ce qui est quand même étonnant. Bon potentiel, sans doute, mais à revoir dans au moins 4-5 ans. Déception relative. 91+ pts
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Decanted for 2 hours and then drank over then next two days. I agree with many of the other comments about this wine. It is lean and austere. Even after two hours in the decanter and, indeed after another 24 hours open in bottle, the wine tasted about the same. Very restrained. I expect it to last many more years, but not confident that it will get any better.
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Tasting this directly after the Hundred Acre was a bit jarring as this is a much leaner styled wine. It took a minute for my palate to readjust and appreciate this wine for the beauty that it offers. At 16 years this is still very young and restrained, but still really elegant and enjoyable to sip. While the Hundred Acre reveals itself to you immediately this wine is bit more shy and requires some coaxing and patience to unfold but when it does it is just as lovely. I imagine that this will continue to cellar well for many years to come.
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Slow oxed for several hours and only started to come around after another couple of hours in the decanter. Power and elegance galore, but I'll wait a year or two before opening another bottle.
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Popped and poured. On its early drinking plateau. Very Bordeaux-like, typical for Togni. Very dark, with a little lightening at the rim. Very nice nose of black cherries, other black fruits and saddle leather. A slight, pleasing sweetness on the palate and a long, pleasing finish.
Very nice wine that is ready to rock, but with plenty of time left.
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Decanted for 3-4 hours before heading to dinner, and perhaps too long. the wine was a bit more acidic and less forceful than I would have expected and missing a bit of the oomph tasted when first opened. If decanting, I would keep it shorter. Still very nice, but a bit underwhelming
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Short notes. My first Togni. Very impressive. Opened and decanted as there's a bit of fine sediment. Plus, this needs at least an hour to really show its stuff. Beautiful nose of roasted dark fruit. Tannins resolve and take a step back after a while so richness and secondary flavors can shine. Just keeps getting better in the glass. Don't know if there's bottle variation out there, but this is by no means past it's peak. One left and will hold for a year or more. Well done.
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Past it's prime. No longer showing structure or fruit. This was a better wine a couple of years ago. Still nice with soft tannins and fruit going more to the stewed prune side of things than the bright fresh fruit it once showed.
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shared with a bit table and from a magnum, with an 8 hour decant. This is a masterpiece for the Togni's and it will reward for many years to come. Still dark purple, with some bricking, this has remarkable complexity and length, and purity. Maybe a candidate for one of the best of 2001? Maybe if you love the middle of the California bell shaped curve, this is not going to be your favorite. We loved it.
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I had expected to decant this for an hour or two, but got delayed and ended up decanting just before dinner. Still a bit closed, needs another year or two or a longer decant. Seems to have fine underlying materials, just needs more time.
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Cork broke as our server tried to extract it but the restaurant decanted through a strainer. Medium ruby, ripe mountain fruit, very complex and elegant with a very long finish. This wine needed 15 years to strut its stuff but now it is superb. Glad to have three more.
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Deep ruby/garnet, barely turning brick at all yet. After an hour in decanter, perfumed, slightly floral bouquet of red fruit and crème de cassis, cured beef and olive oil. In the mouth, an explosion of silky, yet powerful fruit, meaty, yet sensual and so, so long on the finish. Beautiful after-taste that leaves you longing to take the next sip. No hint of tannic "roughness" around the edges - so smooth and yet complex. Wow !
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Medium red, no brick. A bit of settled sediment. Decanted. Served with, and went well with, a prime new york strip. Nice ripe fruit, some earthiness, good backbone, and a soft but long finish. Not as young tasting as, say, a 2001 Monte Bello, but still, in my book, a perfectly aged bottle of Napa cab. I'm biased towards younger wines, so this one is at the tail end of my drinking window, but your mileage may vary.
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Lovely mid-aged Togni...just what I hoped for/expected. Perhaps nearing peak, very Bordeaux-like and accessible. Required some contemplation to get the full Monty, as it drank so easy. No rush to consume, past notes here look to be spot-on. Whole table loved it.
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Medium red. Red fruit and cedar is where this starts. Not ripe enough to point to Napa so I guess Italian. Later the nose develops notes of cedar box, spice and cassis. Delicious cherry, cassis and exotic spices. Long fuzzy tannic finish.
An exceptional wine. So exotic but elegant.
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Drank at a wine tasting dinner along with a stellar line of of new world Cabs. Double decanted about 5 hours before drinking.This wine was my WOTN. Although still exhibiting quite a backbone the tannin was in the back ground of this beautifully balanced wine. This has the stuff to continue developing for many more years. Happy to have one more bottle.
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2016 Sella Ronda Ski Trip; 1/21/2016-1/24/2016 (Alta Badia, Italy): Having tried this a year ago ( at the same place and rated 95) and in full knowledge that it just at the start of its drinking window, we couldn't resist but ordering it again. And once again with the help of a good hour decanting this performed like the old school champion it is. Very classic but with that Napa characteristic of extra ripeness of fruit that makes it a touch more approachable. Elegant, complex lots of depth and length. A beauty. 95 again now but could easily be a lot higher in a few years.
Bringing Napa back to Napa, I carried this magnificent wine from NY after receiving it from the Tognis more than a decade ago, to share with friends at Tra Vigne in St Helena together with the wine maker from a major local winery, and knew I had to bring a very good bottle. The Togni was the WOTN, altho the other was excellent too. The Togni is dark, compelling, complex, viscous, evolved, with a more than a minute finish. This might be the best 2001 from Napa we have had. Particularly given Philip's maintenance of a reasonable price, while calling this wine a value sounds odd, surely for the money, there may be no better wine from Northern California from 2001 at least.
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In good place now. Felt like the fruit component has held up well compared to the 2005 recently tasted. For me, I would say time to drink up. Nice dark fruits - both red and black. Earthy and rustic. Not super typical of NAPA style. Good weight and structure, medium to bigger bodied, mellowing now. Togni style. I like them a bit younger, so not waiting was a good thing.
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Still young at close to 15 years of age, this is a powerful, tannic, structured wine, with plenty of ripe blackberries, fresh herbs, tobacco and earthy notes. Another 5 years, perhaps even 10 will add a lot to this wine.
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This is a lovely, beautiful, elegant wine. Unfortunately, I think my palate has been "brainwashed" to the point that it equates Napa to the modern style of winemaking. I almost didn't recognize this as a cabernet from Napa. If I tasted this blind, I'm not even sure if I would guess Bordeaux varietals, as it tasted like a high-end Brunello just entering its adolescence. And it begs to be paired fatty, savory food. I disagree with other reviews that it has only 5 years ahead of it. Even at 14 years of age, I think it has a another 15 years before reaching full maturity. Popped and poured, it was austere and lean, but after an hour, it started to blossom with wonderfully pure fruit. I'm not certain this is my stylistic preference, but it is incredibly well made and quite delicious.
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Plenty of tannins still but smoothed out a bit after couple hours. Nice black fruits with some dusty tannins, sweet Oak, and hints of tobacco and spice.
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Requires decanting, 2 hours we would say at least. This wine for the lovers of more old world Napa is a masterpiece in the making. Albeit drinking very well we could not but wonder what this will become given another 5 years. The nose took its time to develop (2hrs) but once it did it was a symphony of cab sauv notes. Light spice, dark fruits and so on. Beautiful nose. On the palate the tannins are on the powerful side and hence we think it needs 5 yrs more. But still beautiful now, 95 now and easily 98 if it stays true to its path in s few years.
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This is drinking beautifully. Popped and poured so no chance of a decant. I would have scored higher except for the fact that the nose is lacking. Say 95. The wine gives no indication of what is to come initially.
Medium to full bodied with integrated tannins. Some tobacco and leather in the body and becoming velvet like. Tannins 6.5/10
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96 points - Drank at Gerson's house in Aspen with Isenberg, Conley and Gerson. Crowd went wild. Great balance of fruit and structure alternating over the mouthful and evening. Lots of complexity. Really can't imagine this getting any better, so no need to wait, but no rush either.
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Part of 1994/2001 California tasting. Decanter for 2 hours. This was the best of the 2001 wines. Forward red fruit with mineral notes. Most Bordeaux like on the palate of the 2001. Focused, long finish. (94)
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This is a gorgeous and concentrated wine. Aromas of cherry, game, and leather. The palate is juicy and seductive with black cherry, cedar, and minerals. Still has significant tannins - lots of potential for aging, but so good at the present.
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I cannot say enough good about Togni wines. Also, if you are fortunate enough to be able to visit, it is one of the most unique and memorable and personal visits. I'm sure this will score higher in the future. I've stopped buying cases of wine in general because I want more variety in a big cellar and need to remember my age. I will make Togni the major exception. I've never had a bottle that was past its prime. I've drunk too many too young. I'm thrilled somehow I erred and have two cases of 2007. But I think the 01' is my favorite to date. This is a big wine, dark dark In color, complex, lengthy, elicited a silence and "what was this" from our friends, and disappeared way too fast. This is a napa wine, but the Bordeaux and beyond influence of Philip's approach takes it to a place where far more expensive napa wines do not go. I could easily think Togni is at the best of napa cab, with others perhaps in the same class, but the 2001 is just a spectacular bottle, drinking beautifully now, and with decades to go. My happiest thought of the day? I have two magnums.
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Very classic in style. Decanted for 2 hours and the wine was showing beautifully. These wines can age forever and I look forward to trying some of the older vintages too.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Rich & Dana's): Deep inky color. Aromas of meat, dark fruit, blackberry and oak spice. Firm tannins with a rich texture and flavors of currants, blackberry, green pepper, spices and black cherry. Long finish dominated by dark fruit and firm tannins. A beast of a wine. Guessed young CA Cab. 91+ pts.
I could not believe my eyes when this was unveiled, and our host had double decanted ten hours before the tasting. Do not touch this monster for at least another five years- ten would be better.
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This is a blockbuster that puts together Philips decades of experience and heritage with the best that Napa mountains can offer. France will not make a wine like this and thats as it should be. But this is a Napa cab made by a master vintner who could make a 95 -100 point wine at Latour as well. Rich, viscous, tars, leathers, dark fruits, tobacco. You put down your fork and just focus on the Togni. A magnificent wine
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Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted for 90 minutes before serving. Followed over 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of rose petals, violets, currants, plums and cherries. Flavors of currants, raspberries, plums, cherries and black berries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or holdl No rush.
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Opens rather soft and supple, in a good way, needing no time to open up and not very tannic. Good heft to the palate, this is a chewy wine. Nice black and red fruits on the palate, a touch of green pepper and dried herbs, and thankfully, lacks the gloss or spoof of many Cal Cabs. Really nice with Dave's grilled hanger steaks. At Dave and Lindsey's house.
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For a Togni, this wine is maturing very early. I'm still drinking the early to mid 90s. A dark ruby color. This bottle opened up in less than an hour. Smooth, not yet silky. Dense dark fruits layered with hints of red fruits, white pepper, dried herb and then an almost creamy Vanilla Oak at the finish. A real winner. In hind sight 9 years later in 2022, I must have caught this particular bottle in an early window before it shut down for a while.
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Our host brought out one final blind wine, which he indicated he had decanted about three hours earlier. Deep color, with aromas of red and black fruit, cassis and green, herbal qualities. Showing some alcohol too. Firm tannins, with black fruit, cassis and herbal flavors. I like it, but it is a bit boozy/alcoholic. I thought 2001, and began thinking of producers. It had an "old school" quality to it, but they wouldn't be this hot or big in 2001 I thought. I even mentioned Togni specifically and wrote "Togni?" in my notebook, but another taster familiar with Togni's wines didn't think so and we moved on to other producers. I'm counting this as a win. Large-scaled and still too young, bury the 2001 Togni deep in the cellar for now. Check back in no sooner than 2020.
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Dinner Party @ Home (Costa Brava, 11 Island Avenue, #412, Miami Beach,FL): The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Lead Pencil, and Violet. Body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture.The wine finishes Long. Wanted to compare it to the acclaimed 2001 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To-Kalon. Hard to distinguish them. Both excellent.
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Dark purple color with interesting anise and earth aromas. Loads of big blackberry fruit flavors finished with a menthol note. I bought but did not taste this wine on release so I have no idea of how it evolved over the years. All I know is that it was complex, lovely and should continue to evolve in the cellar for many more years. For #Cabernetday.
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Been missing good wine lately, and admittedly a big Togni fan so I may be biased, but this wine rocks tonight. In my 4th sampling in 5 days from a magnum kept under nitrogen, I'm finally "getting" it. Dark garnet with slim brick edge. Brooding in the glass as with the great Tognis. Nose and taste of earth, dark red fruits, licorice, cassis, dark cherry and wood, & I could imagine black olive; set deep in a thick body that oozes when you squeeze it between your palates.
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Flat fruity licorice on the palate, this is a well-made wine. The finish starting to show glimpses of old wine. Some souring there that's quite pleasant.
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Togni wines are full bodies and very bold yet easy on the palette. You taste alot of fruit yet it is not overpowering. It is a shame his wines are so hard to find on the east coast
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Opaque and beautiful dark bloody purple color...deep, deep earth, mushrooms with subtle cherry in the nose and on the tongue. This wine is drinking well now.
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Great expression of CA Cab. Tannin well balanced great tastes of dark fruits but not at all jammy. Smooth,sophisticated and elegant. Kind of a Porsche Panamera or Mercedes AMG type of wine. Powerful but smooth as silk. Tastes like a Cabernet should and made to get the most out of the grapes and make them into real wine. Not made to grab the attention of some wine critic hoping to receive a high score. Absolutely puts other big name CA Cabs to shame that cost twice as much. Togni is definitely a master with a deft touch.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted one hour before serving. Followed over two hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, little cloudy throughout. Nose of underbrush, soapstone, currants, white pepper and plums. Flavors of currants, berries, raspberries and cherries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold. No rush.
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Really really nice. Bouquet fills the nose with mature fruits, terroir, soft spices. Delicious on the palate, a soft and refined cabernet, full of elegance and layered. Long finish, lasts and lasts. Decanted for an hour, and gave it a 91 at that point. After another hour, really opened up and became deeper in flavor and character. Increased rating by another point. (doris 91. Mellow, not overpowering, elegant, classy, casis. Ready)
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Bummer. Drinkable, but somewhat corked. Mild aroma of wet cardboard. After a while it dissipated, but the wine unfortunately was blah. Bought on release, and cellared properly. I had high hopes for this bottle.
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A weekend with friends in Germany Mosel area: Part 3: Good berries and chocolate in the bouquet. On the palate ripe Cabernet. A firm amount of sweerness and beautiful acidity. Round tannin and very juicy ripe fruits. Already a feast, but a few years of additional cellaring will make the wine even more complex and lovely. 93 – 95+
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Dreamtasting #3 (Bernhard Eifel Restaurant, Trittenheim): Woop, there it is! My man Togni. To me, Togni Cabernet never disappoints. And it didn't. Stunning complexity, very sappy, juicy and joyful, all dressed up in a three piece suit. Black berry-cherry-fruit, cigar-box, nutty, seductive and sexy, this perfume is almost intoxicating. Looooong and well-balanced finish. Just entering its prime drinking window, but has the breed, the power and the versability to stay at this quality level for 15 years or so. To me, this is everything a great red should be. Almost perfect. 19/20
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Really enjoyed this. Very smooth and balanced effort. Not the usual "in your face" Californian sauvignon. My buddy visiting from NYC was equally impressed with the style, the elegance and the balance. Drinking well now and surely for a few more years. Next to Haut Brion 86 it held his own.
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(Tasted in a flight with 2001 Forman, 2001 Togni, 2001 Bond Melbury and 2001 Pahlmeyer) A lovely effort showing a lot of structure and class. Wet granite, cool dark earth, black tea and a lovely herbal tone permat the clost to perfect nose. The palate is powerful with vivid tannins, red mature fruits and subtle green tones. There is an impeccable balance and some signs of age is starting to show. An impressive effort.
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First of our 2001 vintage purchased on release. Decanted for one hour and then back in the bottle for the BYOB restaurant. Elegant wine that still needed another hour to really peak. As with most Togni cabs, this is still very youthful and will last for years. A delight.
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Very dark with red edges. Aromas of cherry, currant, black olives, flint, perfume, and minerals. Full bodied wine with excellent mouth feel. Sharp acid and edgy tannins greet fresh and young fruit. An excellent marriage of aggression and control. The finish is very is very long. It just keeps going and going. Almost wanted to give this a barrel score, because it seem so young. Haven't tried this wine in six years and I'm not sure it has changed much.
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This review summed it up: "Excellent, but not the blockbuster I was expecting. Refined nose of cassis, plums, earth, gravel. Same flavors on palate. Great structure, and although drinking well now, could probably use another couple years. Rating might improve at that point." I enjoyed discovering this wine and look forward to trying other years...
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Excellent, but not the blockbuster I was expecting. Refined nose of cassis, plums, earth, gravel. Same flavors on palate. Great structure, and although drinking well now, could probably use another couple years. Rating might improve at that point. Decanted an hour and it needed that time to soften and integrate. Mouth filling tannins, and a little heat (pepper?) on the finish. (Doris 90. Good body, needs a little more time. Plums.)
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This wine is just entering its mature stage. The underlying fruit is nice, and the tannins have calmed down. However, the wine has a distinct green pepper finish, which detracts from the fruit, and which I did not really enjoy. If you like a peppery Cab, this is your stuff. I thought it was just ok.
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Dark Red. Complex aromas of cherry, currant, mocha, perfume, and minerals. Great balance and lush feel. Everything is working together beautifully. Ripe lush tannins roll on and on. Long excellent finish. Just starting to come around.
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I really enjoyed this, but compared with some other wines brought on island by the group, this was not the group favorite of the night. While I thought there was some nice aged Cali Cab fruit, the ladies thought it had too much green bell pepper in the wine. But since I get to do the rating, not the group, this is my score.
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5th bottle since 2006 and it is finally starting to open up and be delicious. Always had the structure but was hard as nails. Now it has great fruit of black currants and a flowery exotic nose. I think this will get even better in a few more years.
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Classic California cab of yesteryear. This wine is still very young, though the cork was reaching the end of its life. Muted fruit, tobacco and pencil shavings earmarked the bottle. While very good, I wished it just gave a little more to deliver the “wow” effect.
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Fantastic wine. Layers of plums, cassis, cedar, graphite, tobacco and cedary elements with the oak quite subtle and woven into the background, plenty of structure with fairly firm tannins and bright acidity underneath all the fruit and other flavours, power and density with a sense of balance and elegance.
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This was, for us, a traditional CA CS with very varietal features. We did not find it as bordeaux-like as others have commented. We had with a Quilceda Creek 1999 (the clear winner of the evening), a new Porter Family Vineyard blend of merlot/CS and later an Aus. shiraz (Savitar). This was the favorite after the Quilceda Creek. Very nice nose-classic cabernet. In the mouth, as others, not at all overly extracted and there were traditional CS features: cedar and perhaps tobacco, but for us none of the graphite/lead pencil of bordeaux.
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Smooth, dark, rich and seductive. A remarkably complex and concentrated wine brimming with ripe, silky currant, blackberry, black cherry and fresh earth and pencil lead nuances. the long, persistent finish reveals extra depth.
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Blind California Cabernet Tasting: An earthy rustic, more old world wine which finished middle of the road in our Cali Cab tasting. There was more subtle fruit here with a traditional Bordeaux profile. Graphite, cigar box, cedar and tobacco were prevalent on the nose. Leathery and tasted like mahogany furniture with some dirt. Just for perspective, this was tasted blind after Corra 04 and Scarecrow 05. It was a rather significant departure from the Corra and the contrast was stark. The Scarecrow probably fell in between this and the Corra in terms of profile. Very interesting start to our tasting.
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This is about as good as Napa Cabernet gets for me. Great cabernet aromas of currant & slight herb. Beautiful sweetness on the palate with just a touch of oak spice. Drinking beautiful now.
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Over paid for the bottle at a charity auction (not a problem....great cause) but expected a bit more from this Spring Mountain legend. I let it decant for about 45 minutes and it was still a bit tart with a flat mouth feel. Not horrible but ended up being the weakest of the three wines we had last night....
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decanted for three hours; still definitely a tannic beast; finish was forever and very bold; a true wonderful complex and structured california cab. Wait on the next bottle for a few years.
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The 1992 Togni Cabernet was a deep, deep purple. Not decanted, but just breathing in the bottle and then in the glass, it displayed a nose of fruit and spice. On the palate, it was a big beast with plum notes, but the tannins I expected were softened nicely.
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Huge wine; quite dense and extracted. Nice cab nose, very typical. A little bit of the greenness that people talk about in Togni. Black color, blood red at rim. Obvious that this was very young and will become something quite special with the fullness
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Wow, this a biggun...Decanted for 3 hours. This is one huge massive backward wine. I agree with those who said this is more approachable, compared to past Togni's, but still it is quite the tannic beast. It displays a dark murky purple color with incredible concentration and depth. Flavor profile consisted of sweet blackberries, earth/tar, hints of cigar ash and flowers, but these are somewhat reticent behind the primary fruit. It still needs to find some balance, but it is destined for greatness. If you are going to pop one, decant for a minimum of four hours. I will hold my remaining bottles for at least 5 years...and the magnum...
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3/16/2024 - Blue Oval wrote:
Unfortunately nothing (yet) unique about this wine. Could be any Cab blind. This could be anything. I reserve judgment for now. Cellared upon release. Balanced...but not special.
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1/27/2024 - PSirah Tampa Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great spot now. Classic.
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12/26/2023 - G SQUARED Likes this wine: 98 Points
Spectacular. Just entering it's drinking window with decades to go
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10/23/2023 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 95 Points
I would put this 2001 up against any wine out there of the same age. This drinks brilliantly with so much fruit still present. A fantastic experience. Ready to go upon opening and did evolve over a few hours.
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8/9/2023 - Smooth Jazz wrote: 90 Points
Pristine bottle from library release a few years ago
Still very primary with considerable fruit although tannins are somewhat resolved
Surprisingly for Togni - drinks hot with alcohol levels likely 15%+ - no ABV listing on label
Flabby and not particularly broad nor refreshing with ripe red fruits, winter spices and some ash
Truth be told, despite its reputation, did not enjoy this vintage
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11/24/2022 - 2loyal Likes this wine: 98 Points
An exceptional wine that was well worth the wait! Drinking beautifully, with super silky tannins, a great finish, and just a hint of early bricking on the edge of the glass (but tremendous acidity suggests this can hold on for many years to come).
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9/14/2022 - amred wrote: 94 Points
Surprisingly excellent. Not a hint of “over the hill”. Color still intense, little or no brick. Nose of violets, extremely well balanced in the mouth. We really enjoyed. So glad we sprung for a few bottles!
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7/14/2022 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
At a perfect place. Tannins and fruit perfectly integrated, drank marvelously from a magnum, the finish goes on and on, there is dark fruit, leathers, lamb and steak, I don’t really have the words. An amazing value still.
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7/9/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow Ox for 4 hours, and it got better over dinner of the following 2 hours. Overripe black and red fruits, but not jammy. Dried herbs and some sage, sweet Oak, touch of spice. Long fine tannins. Almost no sediment to speak of. Very smooth and lovely modern Cali Cab with some older Cali Cab elements retained.
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7/6/2022 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 95 Points
I drank a 2000 6 months ago and this 2001 is every bit as good. Everything you'd want from a pristine 22 year old Cabernet. Going strong for hours after opening. The journey is wonderful.
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6/18/2022 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Carafé 5 heures…je jouais un peu avec le feu, 3 heures auraient peut-être suffi. Mais il ne m’en a pas voulu, loin s’en faut.
Nez de cerises rouges, mentholé, avec des herbes grillées. Le vin est encore fougueux, puissant, avec une présence d’alcool moins bien dissimulée que sur d’autres millésimes. Mais quand on pardonne ce petit défaut, le vin impressionne par sa profondeur et sa complexité aromatique fascinante.
Un vin dense et séveux, viril certes, mais sans excès de testostérone (i.e. extraction ou bois). Longue finale, sur des nuances épicées, de tabac, de cerises et de garrigue. Un régal. 94-95 pts
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5/26/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted briefly from magnum. Mature classic Napa Cab with red fruit profile, cool, supple tannins, herbs, tobacco. No reason to hold further.
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4/16/2022 - timewithwine Likes this wine:
Relatives gifted a Heitz Trailside Vineyard Cab of the same vintage to me years ago. I held Heitz waiting for the “right” time to showcase it. As the years went by, I’d been tempted to open it for one occasion or another but for whatever reason, held off. And with just a few days’ notice the same relatives who gifted the wine to me announce that they are coming to Virginia. What better time to pull this special bottle! (Heitz bottle number 15,383 of 41,316). The corks on both the Heitz and Togni (of the same vintage) crumbled using a waiter’s friend. The ahso worked on the balance of the Heitz but couldn’t save the Togni where the final half had to be shoved into the bottle and strained into a decanter. The Heitz was notably darker in color shading to plum with the Togni being more of a red brick. Both displayed noses of plum and cassis with appearances by cherry, mint, cedar, roasted tomatoes, and sweet herbs. The Heitz had more cassis while the Togni showed more cherry. The Heitz carried more weight and flash than the Togni, but the table was split over which wine it favored making for some interesting conversation. Both wines delivered long, rich finishes with the Togni giving more cedar on the finish and the Heitz delivering mint and mocha. Both wines are a treat to drink. Both show some sediment at the shoulder with the Togni throwing a bit more along the side and broader around the shoulder. Neither bottle specifies percent of alcohol (so 12%-14%) and likely between 12% and 13%. With giant grilled beef ribeyes as said relatives join us for Easter eve dinner after their big day at Poplar Forest. 04.16.22. Both Highly Recommended.
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2/8/2022 - Dako Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very interesting coming on the heels two nights earlier of an '01 Screaming Eagle as the two offer as far different an experience as can be found in high-end California cabernets. As opposed to perfect but not overly lush fruit of the latter, the Togni exhibited plenty of higher toned black and red fruits but overshadowed by an exuberant brambly backbone, making for a bracing, untamed pleasure.
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2/5/2022 - G_H wrote: 92 Points
Again quite rought around the edges, deep notes of black pudding and iron, muscular and strong tannin, not sure this will develop into something more refined...
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12/20/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still a deep, almost impenetrable, purple belying its age. Very dark fruited, especially noticeable as it was drunk along some classified Bordeauxs of a similar age. This showed tar, boot polish, creosote, licorice and a hint of vanilla on the nose and delivered a plushly textured, full-bodied blast of dark fruit and an incredibly long finish. Excellent.
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9/15/2021 - Coach C. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and drank over the next 2.
A dark, opaque ruby color. Bouquet of mature black fruits, herbs and cut hay. The palate suggest this wine was once very powerful and I’m lucky to have never tasted it prior to now. This is extremely tasty and a well aged Napa Cab, yet the tannins suggest it has some time left. Nice longish finish
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8/29/2021 - Mr T wrote:
Similar
To last
Bottle and to my taste, time to drink up. Fruit is mature and tannin resolved and don’t think it gets better. Some sweetness but also fading a bit. Very nice wine
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7/10/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 hour decant and it needed it. This tannins were still firm but long and yet pliable. Ripe black fruits but some lovely overripe blueberry as well. Some sage/herbs underneath with sweet Oak. 20 second finish. A full tablespoon of sediment but not loss of color.
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12/25/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes, which was a good idea. There was a touch of soy on the nose right after I poured it into the decanter. but thankfully this blew off with proper aeration. This opened up beautifully and is a mature left bank style California Cabernet. While somewhat Pauillac in style, the sweetness of the fruit is a tell tale signature of Spring Mtn. fruit. I’m glad I waited 19 years to open this bottle. This should plateau for another 5-10 years but I don’t expect it will improve much more. Drink or Hold.
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12/13/2020 - jordanj Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit shy and short of my last bottle. This was missing the old world Togni style. Missing the herbiscus notes and dare I say a tad disjointed? No worries. Wrong night for this. But when on, the 01 Togni is decadent.
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10/31/2020 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light, complex nose with herbs and flowers layered over berry skins. Crème de cassis, violet candies, vanilla bean, fleshy plums. Moderate power with a bright, medium-length finish and velvety tannins.
Right out of the bottle, I didn’t know what to think, as it was very shy. It’s nose developed over about 30 minutes.
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10/19/2020 - Mr T wrote:
Cork broke and wine is showing its age for sure but that's not all bad. This wine is mature and subtle/precise as described. Would have been curious to see what night 2 was like but we did not give that a chance. Certainly can more than hold its own with left bank Bdx....this is not a Cali fruit bomb
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9/29/2020 - Dako Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extraordinary precision and length here with balanced rather than the over-extracted fruit as with many modern cabs that just lay there on the palate. Day 2 this tasted more like a left bank Bordeaux than any Cali cab in recent memory.
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8/25/2020 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 96 Points
A terrific wine just coming into its own!
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7/23/2020 - Hamersly wrote: 96 Points
Hasn't changed since my last bottle over 3 years ago, this has at least 10+ years ahead of it.
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6/14/2020 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork broke while opening. The cork was so sealed to the glass that I could not push it through but using a strong plastic chopstick I was able to create a hole in the cork. Interesting. Decanted for one hour and enjoyed with prime steaks. Medium ruby with a bit of lightening at the rim. Nice forest nose. Tannins mostly resolved. Elegant with a long finish. Time to drink IMHO.
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6/13/2020 - hanasowner wrote: 91 Points
Opened two hours in advance...beautiful color...good fruit...earthy...no tannins...smooth finish...has aged well.
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6/10/2020 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 94 Points
100% Spring Mountain cab. I let it breathe 1 hour. Drank over 2. Dried out cork broke on opening, but no problem. Bottle was fine. Consistent w/past notes, this is one of the less dense Napa cabs I've had recently. Like a dense pinot. So if you prefer something less concentrated, this is for you. This bottle did not exhibit the "old wine" flavors I got from my last bottle, so maybe my last bottle was damaged. The tannins are mellow and polished. Solid acidity. I get forest floor and sweetness out of it.... Huge drop off on day 2. So try to enjoy in one sitting if you can.
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5/30/2020 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for virtual tasting with Phil and Lisa Togni. One of their favorite vintages. Dark brick red in color with aromas of earthy black cherry and herbs. Still showing nice dark red fruits with good spice and depth with some early signs of nuance from age. Well balanced with a good backbone of acid. Built for the long haul, just in early adolescence, a long way to go, but quite good now. Thanks Don E. for setting up this special evening despite COVID quarantine.
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5/9/2020 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
Used these for a blind virtual / zoom tasting; filled from magnum into 4 oz bottles the day before the tasting, and then distributed to our Delaware Valley Chaine members across the Philadelphia area. Showed extremely young, with a purple core and turning towards garnet at the rim. Quite primary, with pure notes of cassis, blackberry, hints of flowers, spice box. None of the roasted herbs that I usually find with Togni, either with the 4 oz bottles, or from a magnum tasted the next day. Showed much younger than the 05 Grand Puy Lacoste. I'll save my remaining magnums until 2030!
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5/9/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
It needed 2 hours in the decanter before it fully opened. A tablespoon of fine sediment. Tannins are still firm but smooth after 2 hours. Blackberries, black currant, some sage brush and sweet Oak. 30 second finish. 94 points once the tannins are resolved?
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4/17/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, forest floor, cassis and plums. Flavors of cassis, boysenberries, plums and tart red cherries. Medium to tangy acidity, medium tannin. full bodied. Drink or hold.
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3/14/2020 - Trent Walker wrote: 93 Points
From Magnum. Well, this is a LOT of fruit, still some unresolved tannin. Deep, dark and rich. Not picking up ANY secondary aromas from this wine after having popped the cork and letting it sit for a few hours. I',m surprised at how backwards this wine is. Unmistakably and unapologetically Californian in this format, and that sometimes can be a bit monolithic hence my reduced score. Maybe this develops in 10 years. I honestly wouldn't touch another bottle in magnum until 2030. It has the size, will it ever have the complexity??? If so 93 is very conservative.
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1/1/2020 - tsontag Likes this wine: 99 Points
Spectacular. Drinking very well right now. Decant for an hour.
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12/30/2019 - jordanj wrote: 95 Points
I love this stuff! Explosive nose that makes no apologies. This wine is in a great place. Herbal, green, and mushroom all converge for an intoxicating bright red fruit nose. Smooth palate and long delicious finish. Togni never disappoints. Drink now because it’s fantastic or hold for another 5 years.
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12/28/2019 - mdvillaverde wrote: 92 Points
I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 3. I agree with RP/WA that the wine has a meaty nose. It's a medium-bodied wine. This bottle (and maybe the wine generally) has some "old wine" flavors (comparable to flavors I've gotten from 1980s vintage wines I've opened) that suggest to me that, sadly, it's well past its prime. Not sure why anyone would wait. Drink now. I considered not scoring on the possibility that the bottle is flawed but don't think it's flawed.
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12/14/2019 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
First bottle from a case purchased on release. Opened about 15 minutes before dinner, but did not decant. Served in Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glasses. Rich dark red in the glass, nearly black in the center with no bricking at the rim. The nose was shy at first and remained a little subdued throughout, showing mostly dark fruits - cherries, I said, while Jonathan said cassis - and a cheeky gingerbread background. There was no sign of the green pepper element sometimes found in classic Togni, and the oak element was nicely blended into the whole, not overt. On the palate, the youthful fruit was in the forefront, with some tannic grip, but not showing tight or drying at all. I got the feeling she was just starting to loosen her corset and breathe freely. The mouthfeel was velvety plush,with just enough tickle of acid to keep it lively. I'm sure there was a lot going on if I'd stopped to think about it, but I couldn't be bothered, it was too much fun to drink. It opened up a bit over the course of dinner, but didn't change a whole lot. Then again, it didn't need to, as it was beautiful, full of pleasure, and a great match with 60 day dry aged Flannery strip steaks. While thoroughly enjoyable at this stage, there's no doubt it has another 10 good years of development ahead of it, if not more.
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11/13/2019 - Papies wrote:
We believe an off bottle, not really flawed just not charming at all and a far cry from the 93-95 we have been rating this so far. Next time.
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11/9/2019 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
45th Birthday Celebration (Chez Nanda): Decanted for a couple of hours. Classic Togni in that it shows Bordeaux character and structure in a California package. This is an awesome vintage that is really still in its infancy. Maybe another 5-10 years before it unfolds. Delicious now, but upside from here.
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11/9/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"You only turn 45 once" (Chicago, IL): This stuff is awesome; definitely on the young side (especially after a big older vertical of the wines), but it is clearly a wine of the same pedigree and style. Ripe pyrazines, sweet black fruit, and a dusty tannic structure that is all nicely balanced by good acids and very judicious oak use. The only problem with this wine is that it's too young! In 10-15 years, this will be a superstar.
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10/25/2019 - aerosol Likes this wine: 95 Points
A friend brought this bottle last night to the Symphony of the Americas dinner and tasted along several superlative wines. This 2001 Cab was still dark and showed minimal signs of aging even after a 3 hour decant. The color was deep purple and the palate was full of lush dark fruit, cassis, blackberry and earthy chewiness. This still has some life in it and will store for a while longer. Decant and drink over a 4 hour period all by yourself it you are allowed to LMAO.
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10/25/2019 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fairly classic California Cab with some hints of Bordeaux. Good finish. A monster still. Will last.
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9/20/2019 - whitetable Likes this wine: 97 Points
PY97 - 2019.09.20
2001 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
As soon as the cork was pulled, a wave of black fruits just jumped out of the bottle.
Gorgeous dark ruby color in the glass with zero sign of bricking. Melody of black fruits that's so soothing and expressive on the nose, with notes of vanilla, violet, and even a touch of graphite.
Just one sip, shows off the perfect balance of fruit, tannin, and acidity. The rush of black fruits is accompanied by minerals and graphite, best of power and elegance combined.
Great mid-palate with a lingering finish of more than 60 seconds.
This is a wine that's entering optimal drinking window and possibly with room to improve, as it's still showing a small amount of baby fat.
***
Philipe Togni is 93 years young this year, he's absolutely right in telling us his wine needs at least 10 years of aging to be opened. I've only visited him once over 10 years ago, will definitely make a point to see him on my next trip back to Napa.
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9/8/2019 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent wine
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8/14/2019 - werdna39 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Simply delicious -- and will still last for years. I emailed Philip Togni a compliment and, to my surprise, he emailed me back, suggesting that he finds the 2010 comparable.
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6/9/2019 - Stirling Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still very dark with slight fade at rim. Absolutely gorgeous nose of cassis, blackberry, and forest notes. Blackfruit flavours are delivered with intensity and lots of complexity comes from the cedar, earth and mineral notes. While some Napa Cabs lean toward the sweet side of the spectrum, this wine definitely sits on the savoury side. The finish is long and spice-infused. The mouthfeel is terrific: medium+ body, good acidity and lots of ripe, polished tannins. There is definitely a Bordeaux-like sense to this wine with its savoury and elegant qualities. On point now but showing the balance and fruit to go another decade, maybe even two. Extraordinary. www.advinetures.ca
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5/26/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loads of black and some red fruits, smooth but slightly chewy tannins. Sweet Oak, hints of cassis. A 30 second finish.
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4/23/2019 - michael47 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just delicious. Still dark, nose full of pure cassis, smoke, toast and foresty notes. Smooth and perfectly mature with silly tannins. Lovely 18 year old cab with plenty of life left in it.
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2/27/2019 - travelme Likes this wine: 93 Points
A really beautiful wine overall. Great nose. A little bit of heat on the finish but I think it is still young. In five more years, it will reach its peak. A little green bell pepper notes along with the traditional creme de cassis, Cabernet flavor profile. Nose of pine needles and forest floor. One bottle left that I will save for 2023.
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1/30/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color, decanted for an hour and it still developed in the glass. Great extracted berry flavor, long finish. With strip steak...perfect.
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1/19/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
The magenta tinged rim quickly turns to ox-blood red through the core. The wine gives off an almost lacquer like sheen. The nose is big with cedar dominating at first, but as the wine opens and it finds itself there are elements of cherry liqueur, cassis, anise and thankfully, no dill. The first taste when just opened is a window to enjoyment: rich nose of cassis and tobo. Forty-five minutes later, cassis, plum, tobo leaf and cedar smoke are wrapped in smooth tannins. While powerful, the balance of the wine reflects the deft hand behind it. This is classic Togni. Sediment coats the “down” side of the neck of the bottle and a small thumbnail of thick, fine grained sediment oozes out with the final pour. Per usual Togni, no percent of alc. listed (meaning its under 14%). With seared (beef) ribeyes. Recommended but leaning toward Highly Recommended.
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1/15/2019 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
In a totally different gear than the 70's cabs, but just as sensational. Tons of luxurious fruit and heft, but this eschewed any heat or heaviness and has enough minerals, brightness and bitterness to keep it grounded and interesting. Tons of minty-tarragon-green notes on the nose that gives it a real freshness. Really hard to resist. This might get a bit more nuanced with more time, but fully in the zone tonight. 93-94 pts.
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12/15/2018 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Soft red berries, chocolate and sweet spices in the bouquet. On the palate juicy red berries, firm but good acidity, a bit musty and rustic. Overall a complex and beautiful wine.
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10/20/2018 - mflesh wrote: 93 Points
I thought this one started off really nice. Had a nice red fruit character to it. Mint. Spice cookie. And a little bit of black cherry and some herb towards the finish with a little bit of cola. As it sat however, I was almost getting a weedy almost brett like character on the finish. I have had one vintage older than this and one quite a bit younger than this. Both of them did not seem to have this character. I think this bottle might have been a tad bit off. Bordeaux style, and enjoyable. This is right in the prime of drinking IMO.
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9/29/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours and drank over dinner. Beautiful aged Napa cab with dried fruit and herbs, mature tannins, coffee bean notes and a touch of leather on the finish. Continued to soften without losing flavor over another 2.5 hours. These are great classic aged wines.
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9/7/2018 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Requires decanting, a good 30 minute was a must for the wine to get into a happy place.
not as impressiive as 2&3 years ago ( Papies 95) but still very solid. Maybe a bottle issue or maybe the wine was not there. In any case very classic Bordeaux, St Julien in a way ( Nicol who tried this blind was ready to bet the house on it), well evolved albeit with very little secondary notes. Still on the fruit, nice dark fruited side, touch of smoky edge. Its in a way a relatively forward Togni and is now drinking very nicely and a lot more giving than some of the 90s. Very pure this is bordeaux made in Napa and is not hunting for Parker points. For those like us who like the classic, touch austere, reserved wines this like many of Togni wines is another masterclass. 93 this time and with very solid life ahead
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6/9/2018 - Ibetian Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork crumbled, so decanted through strainer and 30 minutes before drinking. A bit longer decant might have better since the last glass was the best. Complex nose of red and more black fruit. Still a little restrained. Wonderful balance in the mouth, with that Bordeaux-like combination of power and elegance that marks Togni.
Ready to drink, but more positive evolution ahead and another decade or so before decline. Excellent.
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3/10/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a tightly wound wine. Blackberries, eucalyptus, black cherry, vanilla Oak and hints of tobacco. Very smooth but with firm tannins. Lots of upside still on this one. This wine has evolved quite a bit since my first bottle and its characteristics are still not fully formed.
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11/14/2017 - Corrie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not my flavor profile, but good.
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7/7/2017 - canan wrote: 95 Points
4 Mini Vertical Tastings (Sammarco, Togni, Conseillante, Palmer) (MG): Huge dark and juicy fruit and very young harsh tannin structure.
A potentially great wine that just needs more time!
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6/20/2017 - BonnieM wrote:
Lots of sediment, it went very nicely with the grilled meats but it is leaner, not as full bodied as other Napa cabs. Maybe more time?
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5/12/2017 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours, about right. Complex and elegant. In its early drinking window, long life ahead.
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4/17/2017 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Nez de cerises avec des notes mentholées.
Le vin est encore bien jeune, pas très expressif, voire monolithique. Il n'a pas encore développé la complexité dont il est capable. Il lui faut presque deux heures de carafe pour révéler plus que sa puissance naturelle. Il manque de nuances à ce stade, ce qui est quand même étonnant. Bon potentiel, sans doute, mais à revoir dans au moins 4-5 ans. Déception relative. 91+ pts
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3/2/2017 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and then drank over then next two days. I agree with many of the other comments about this wine. It is lean and austere. Even after two hours in the decanter and, indeed after another 24 hours open in bottle, the wine tasted about the same. Very restrained. I expect it to last many more years, but not confident that it will get any better.
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2/18/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Tasting this directly after the Hundred Acre was a bit jarring as this is a much leaner styled wine. It took a minute for my palate to readjust and appreciate this wine for the beauty that it offers. At 16 years this is still very young and restrained, but still really elegant and enjoyable to sip. While the Hundred Acre reveals itself to you immediately this wine is bit more shy and requires some coaxing and patience to unfold but when it does it is just as lovely. I imagine that this will continue to cellar well for many years to come.
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2/18/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break (the second); 2/17/2017-2/19/2017 (Various spots (homes, Mis en Place, Capital Grille)): These wines are just made to be aged for ages (aka - more than 16 years). It's pretty young. Lots of fruits. Lots of spice cabinet. More red currant and sour cherry. It's got lots of great components but just isn't quite ready for prime time I think. Still, tasty.
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2/7/2017 - Hamersly wrote: 96 Points
Slow oxed for several hours and only started to come around after another couple of hours in the decanter. Power and elegance galore, but I'll wait a year or two before opening another bottle.
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1/30/2017 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. On its early drinking plateau. Very Bordeaux-like, typical for Togni. Very dark, with a little lightening at the rim. Very nice nose of black cherries, other black fruits and saddle leather. A slight, pleasing sweetness on the palate and a long, pleasing finish.
Very nice wine that is ready to rock, but with plenty of time left.
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1/1/2017 - Mr T wrote:
Decanted for 3-4 hours before heading to dinner, and perhaps too long. the wine was a bit more acidic and less forceful than I would have expected and missing a bit of the oomph tasted when first opened. If decanting, I would keep it shorter. Still very nice, but a bit underwhelming
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12/18/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last bottle of this wine. Tasted along side other aged CA cabs. Still very youthful. Drink or hold.
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11/25/2016 - Rackit Likes this wine: 94 Points
Short notes.
My first Togni. Very impressive.
Opened and decanted as there's a bit of fine sediment. Plus, this needs at least an hour to really show its stuff. Beautiful nose of roasted dark fruit. Tannins resolve and take a step back after a while so richness and secondary flavors can shine. Just keeps getting better in the glass. Don't know if there's bottle variation out there, but this is by no means past it's peak. One left and will hold for a year or more. Well done.
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11/21/2016 - ClaudioMac1 wrote: 90 Points
Past it's prime. No longer showing structure or fruit. This was a better wine a couple of years ago. Still nice with soft tannins and fruit going more to the stewed prune side of things than the bright fresh fruit it once showed.
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11/15/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
shared with a bit table and from a magnum, with an 8 hour decant. This is a masterpiece for the Togni's and it will reward for many years to come. Still dark purple, with some bricking, this has remarkable complexity and length, and purity. Maybe a candidate for one of the best of 2001? Maybe if you love the middle of the California bell shaped curve, this is not going to be your favorite. We loved it.
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10/18/2016 - Ibetian wrote:
I had expected to decant this for an hour or two, but got delayed and ended up decanting just before dinner. Still a bit closed, needs another year or two or a longer decant. Seems to have fine underlying materials, just needs more time.
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9/24/2016 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 97 Points
Cork broke as our server tried to extract it but the restaurant decanted through a strainer. Medium ruby, ripe mountain fruit, very complex and elegant with a very long finish. This wine needed 15 years to strut its stuff but now it is superb. Glad to have three more.
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9/15/2016 - RISM Likes this wine: 98 Points
Deep ruby/garnet, barely turning brick at all yet. After an hour in decanter, perfumed, slightly floral bouquet of red fruit and crème de cassis, cured beef and olive oil. In the mouth, an explosion of silky, yet powerful fruit, meaty, yet sensual and so, so long on the finish. Beautiful after-taste that leaves you longing to take the next sip. No hint of tannic "roughness" around the edges - so smooth and yet complex. Wow !
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8/13/2016 - twoamps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium red, no brick. A bit of settled sediment. Decanted. Served with, and went well with, a prime new york strip. Nice ripe fruit, some earthiness, good backbone, and a soft but long finish. Not as young tasting as, say, a 2001 Monte Bello, but still, in my book, a perfectly aged bottle of Napa cab. I'm biased towards younger wines, so this one is at the tail end of my drinking window, but your mileage may vary.
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7/25/2016 - zoeldar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely mid-aged Togni...just what I hoped for/expected. Perhaps nearing peak, very Bordeaux-like and accessible. Required some contemplation to get the full Monty, as it drank so easy. No rush to consume, past notes here look to be spot-on. Whole table loved it.
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7/9/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 95 Points
Medium red. Red fruit and cedar is where this starts. Not ripe enough to point to Napa so I guess Italian. Later the nose develops notes of cedar box, spice and cassis. Delicious cherry, cassis and exotic spices. Long fuzzy tannic finish.
An exceptional wine. So exotic but elegant.
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5/31/2016 - winestem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply wonderful. Smooth, powerful, plenty of dark fruits and tannin. Still a youthful cab.
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5/15/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at a wine tasting dinner along with a stellar line of of new world Cabs. Double decanted about 5 hours before drinking.This wine was my WOTN. Although still exhibiting quite a backbone the tannin was in the back ground of this beautifully balanced wine. This has the stuff to continue developing for many more years. Happy to have one more bottle.
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4/18/2016 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Decanted just before dinner. On early drinking plateau. CA cab chocolate and cherries combined with Bordeaux elegance. Still improving.
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4/2/2016 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
1 hr in the decanter.
Tannines still too coarse. Needs more time.
Hopefully the fruit survives...
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1/22/2016 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
2016 Sella Ronda Ski Trip; 1/21/2016-1/24/2016 (Alta Badia, Italy): Having tried this a year ago ( at the same place and rated 95) and in full knowledge that it just at the start of its drinking window, we couldn't resist but ordering it again. And once again with the help of a good hour decanting this performed like the old school champion it is. Very classic but with that Napa characteristic of extra ripeness of fruit that makes it a touch more approachable. Elegant, complex lots of depth and length. A beauty. 95 again now but could easily be a lot higher in a few years.
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12/31/2015 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted for 2 hours. Brought it to Berg's for New Years. For me WOTN!
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11/27/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Classic cassis nose with some ash. The palate is ashy and beefy. Drying. Also begging for steak.
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11/17/2015 - jaylew1 wrote: 95 Points
Just barely entering its drinking window. What a beautiful wine. Wish I had more. No rush.
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11/4/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bringing Napa back to Napa, I carried this magnificent wine from NY after receiving it from the Tognis more than a decade ago, to share with friends at Tra Vigne in St Helena together with the wine maker from a major local winery, and knew I had to bring a very good bottle. The Togni was the WOTN, altho the other was excellent too. The Togni is dark, compelling, complex, viscous, evolved, with a more than a minute finish. This might be the best 2001 from Napa we have had. Particularly given Philip's maintenance of a reasonable price, while calling this wine a value sounds odd, surely for the money, there may be no better wine from Northern California from 2001 at least.
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11/3/2015 - khunchris Likes this wine: 93 Points
In good place now. Felt like the fruit component has held up well compared to the 2005 recently tasted. For me, I would say time to drink up. Nice dark fruits - both red and black. Earthy and rustic. Not super typical of NAPA style. Good weight and structure, medium to bigger bodied, mellowing now. Togni style. I like them a bit younger, so not waiting was a good thing.
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11/2/2015 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 94 Points
Lovely wine, wonderful illustration of an old world Cali cab in its prime.
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10/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Still young at close to 15 years of age, this is a powerful, tannic, structured wine, with plenty of ripe blackberries, fresh herbs, tobacco and earthy notes. Another 5 years, perhaps even 10 will add a lot to this wine.
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8/8/2015 - Alex38 wrote:
Closed, needs decanting and time in the glass to open up.
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6/23/2015 - AZ Wine Dewd wrote: 94 Points
Very much a non-Napa style wine, we loved it. Very aromatic, great body. Have two more bottles. Will save them for at least another year
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6/4/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a lovely, beautiful, elegant wine. Unfortunately, I think my palate has been "brainwashed" to the point that it equates Napa to the modern style of winemaking. I almost didn't recognize this as a cabernet from Napa. If I tasted this blind, I'm not even sure if I would guess Bordeaux varietals, as it tasted like a high-end Brunello just entering its adolescence. And it begs to be paired fatty, savory food. I disagree with other reviews that it has only 5 years ahead of it. Even at 14 years of age, I think it has a another 15 years before reaching full maturity. Popped and poured, it was austere and lean, but after an hour, it started to blossom with wonderfully pure fruit. I'm not certain this is my stylistic preference, but it is incredibly well made and quite delicious.
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5/6/2015 - dedwards wrote:
very good
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4/25/2015 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plenty of tannins still but smoothed out a bit after couple hours. Nice black fruits with some dusty tannins, sweet Oak, and hints of tobacco and spice.
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4/3/2015 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Requires decanting, 2 hours we would say at least.
This wine for the lovers of more old world Napa is a masterpiece in the making. Albeit drinking very well we could not but wonder what this will become given another 5 years.
The nose took its time to develop (2hrs) but once it did it was a symphony of cab sauv notes. Light spice, dark fruits and so on. Beautiful nose. On the palate the tannins are on the powerful side and hence we think it needs 5 yrs more. But still beautiful now, 95 now and easily 98 if it stays true to its path in s few years.
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4/1/2015 - irish95 wrote: 96 Points
Still young. This one will go for at least 10 more years. Beautiful in structure. Chocolate and cocoa present. Gorgeous.
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3/10/2015 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
This is drinking beautifully. Popped and poured so no chance of a decant. I would have scored higher except for the fact that the nose is lacking. Say 95. The wine gives no indication of what is to come initially.
Medium to full bodied with integrated tannins. Some tobacco and leather in the body and becoming velvet like. Tannins 6.5/10
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2/27/2015 - levinml Likes this wine: 96 Points
96 points - Drank at Gerson's house in Aspen with Isenberg, Conley and Gerson. Crowd went wild. Great balance of fruit and structure alternating over the mouthful and evening. Lots of complexity. Really can't imagine this getting any better, so no need to wait, but no rush either.
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1/23/2015 - TinMan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully right now.
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12/4/2014 - Milos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Part of 1994/2001 California tasting. Decanter for 2 hours. This was the best of the 2001 wines. Forward red fruit with mineral notes. Most Bordeaux like on the palate of the 2001. Focused, long finish. (94)
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10/26/2014 - Diane (LI) wrote:
This is a gorgeous and concentrated wine. Aromas of cherry, game, and leather. The palate is juicy and seductive with black cherry, cedar, and minerals. Still has significant tannins - lots of potential for aging, but so good at the present.
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9/5/2014 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome. So many compliments for opening this bottle.
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9/2/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
I cannot say enough good about Togni wines. Also, if you are fortunate enough to be able to visit, it is one of the most unique and memorable and personal visits. I'm sure this will score higher in the future. I've stopped buying cases of wine in general because I want more variety in a big cellar and need to remember my age. I will make Togni the major exception. I've never had a bottle that was past its prime. I've drunk too many too young. I'm thrilled somehow I erred and have two cases of 2007. But I think the 01' is my favorite to date. This is a big wine, dark dark In color, complex, lengthy, elicited a silence and "what was this" from our friends, and disappeared way too fast. This is a napa wine, but the Bordeaux and beyond influence of Philip's approach takes it to a place where far more expensive napa wines do not go. I could easily think Togni is at the best of napa cab, with others perhaps in the same class, but the 2001 is just a spectacular bottle, drinking beautifully now, and with decades to go. My happiest thought of the day? I have two magnums.
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6/21/2014 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Very nice indeed, and the Togni cultists were in heaven.
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6/6/2014 - H Crenshaw wrote: 94 Points
Very classic in style. Decanted for 2 hours and the wine was showing beautifully. These wines can age forever and I look forward to trying some of the older vintages too.
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2/22/2014 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Rich & Dana's): Deep inky color. Aromas of meat, dark fruit, blackberry and oak spice. Firm tannins with a rich texture and flavors of currants, blackberry, green pepper, spices and black cherry. Long finish dominated by dark fruit and firm tannins. A beast of a wine. Guessed young CA Cab. 91+ pts.
I could not believe my eyes when this was unveiled, and our host had double decanted ten hours before the tasting. Do not touch this monster for at least another five years- ten would be better.
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2/22/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Opened by R&D at 4th Saturday group. Very Bordeaux like with green pepper and graphite notes. Very tight. Guessed young Bordeaux blend. Needs time.
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2/18/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a blockbuster that puts together Philips decades of experience and heritage with the best that Napa mountains can offer. France will not make a wine like this and thats as it should be. But this is a Napa cab made by a master vintner who could make a 95 -100 point wine at Latour as well. Rich, viscous, tars, leathers, dark fruits, tobacco. You put down your fork and just focus on the Togni. A magnificent wine
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2/15/2014 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted for 90 minutes before serving. Followed over 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of rose petals, violets, currants, plums and cherries. Flavors of currants, raspberries, plums, cherries and black berries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or holdl No rush.
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1/20/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Opens rather soft and supple, in a good way, needing no time to open up and not very tannic. Good heft to the palate, this is a chewy wine. Nice black and red fruits on the palate, a touch of green pepper and dried herbs, and thankfully, lacks the gloss or spoof of many Cal Cabs. Really nice with Dave's grilled hanger steaks. At Dave and Lindsey's house.
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12/21/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
For a Togni, this wine is maturing very early. I'm still drinking the early to mid 90s. A dark ruby color. This bottle opened up in less than an hour. Smooth, not yet silky. Dense dark fruits layered with hints of red fruits, white pepper, dried herb and then an almost creamy Vanilla Oak at the finish. A real winner. In hind sight 9 years later in 2022, I must have caught this particular bottle in an early window before it shut down for a while.
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11/8/2013 - AllRed wrote:
Our host brought out one final blind wine, which he indicated he had decanted about three hours earlier. Deep color, with aromas of red and black fruit, cassis and green, herbal qualities. Showing some alcohol too. Firm tannins, with black fruit, cassis and herbal flavors. I like it, but it is a bit boozy/alcoholic. I thought 2001, and began thinking of producers. It had an "old school" quality to it, but they wouldn't be this hot or big in 2001 I thought. I even mentioned Togni specifically and wrote "Togni?" in my notebook, but another taster familiar with Togni's wines didn't think so and we moved on to other producers. I'm counting this as a win. Large-scaled and still too young, bury the 2001 Togni deep in the cellar for now. Check back in no sooner than 2020.
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11/2/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner Party @ Home (Costa Brava, 11 Island Avenue, #412, Miami Beach,FL): The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Lead Pencil, and Violet. Body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture.The wine finishes Long. Wanted to compare it to the acclaimed 2001 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To-Kalon. Hard to distinguish them. Both excellent.
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8/29/2013 - Winetex Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark purple color with interesting anise and earth aromas. Loads of big blackberry fruit flavors finished with a menthol note. I bought but did not taste this wine on release so I have no idea of how it evolved over the years. All I know is that it was complex, lovely and should continue to evolve in the cellar for many more years. For #Cabernetday.
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7/20/2013 - agrohs wrote: 96 Points
...as good as I imagined the day Philip himself personally put on the label for me!!
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7/8/2013 - Kenyakid Likes this wine: 94 Points
Been missing good wine lately, and admittedly a big Togni fan so I may be biased, but this wine rocks tonight. In my 4th sampling in 5 days from a magnum kept under nitrogen, I'm finally "getting" it. Dark garnet with slim brick edge. Brooding in the glass as with the great Tognis. Nose and taste of earth, dark red fruits, licorice, cassis, dark cherry and wood, & I could imagine black olive; set deep in a thick body that oozes when you squeeze it between your palates.
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6/25/2013 - jswine15 wrote: 91 Points
good but a bit disappointing given the very high ratings.
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6/11/2013 - fournet wrote: 93 Points
Magnum. In a great window. Integrated tannins. Sweet but not bomb.
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5/2/2013 - kurishin wrote: 92 Points
Flat fruity licorice on the palate, this is a well-made wine. The finish starting to show glimpses of old wine. Some souring there that's quite pleasant.
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2/22/2013 - MARATHON MAN Likes this wine: 97 Points
Togni wines are full bodies and very bold yet easy on the palette. You taste alot of fruit yet it is not overpowering. It is a shame his wines are so hard to find on the east coast
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1/12/2013 - twoamps wrote: flawed
corked
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11/2/2012 - TinMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opaque and beautiful dark bloody purple color...deep, deep earth, mushrooms with subtle cherry in the nose and on the tongue. This wine is drinking well now.
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10/27/2012 - Uglypinga wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind. Beefy nose with green pepper hints. Palate is bright with cherry fruit that never quite gets tot the finish. Soft tannins. Good.
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9/12/2012 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
developing nicely, long lasting life ahead of it. Drink now or hold, the wine is very much drinkable and enjoyable now.
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7/5/2012 - mellison wrote: 94 Points
Great expression of CA Cab. Tannin well balanced great tastes of dark fruits but not at all jammy. Smooth,sophisticated and elegant. Kind of a Porsche Panamera or Mercedes AMG type of wine. Powerful but smooth as silk. Tastes like a Cabernet should and made to get the most out of the grapes and make them into real wine. Not made to grab the attention of some wine critic hoping to receive a high score. Absolutely puts other big name CA Cabs to shame that cost twice as much. Togni is definitely a master with a deft touch.
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5/13/2012 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted one hour before serving. Followed over two hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, little cloudy throughout. Nose of underbrush, soapstone, currants, white pepper and plums. Flavors of currants, berries, raspberries and cherries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold. No rush.
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3/16/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 98 Points
Wow!
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3/3/2012 - raginbajan wrote: 97 Points
I love Togni
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2/6/2012 - Didman wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful bottle. Rich cab flavors and aroma at perfect maturity.
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12/25/2011 - dsimmons wrote:
off bottle. drinkable but mediocre
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12/4/2011 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Really really nice. Bouquet fills the nose with mature fruits, terroir, soft spices. Delicious on the palate, a soft and refined cabernet, full of elegance and layered. Long finish, lasts and lasts. Decanted for an hour, and gave it a 91 at that point. After another hour, really opened up and became deeper in flavor and character. Increased rating by another point. (doris 91. Mellow, not overpowering, elegant, classy, casis. Ready)
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11/6/2011 - budman wrote: flawed
Bummer. Drinkable, but somewhat corked. Mild aroma of wet cardboard. After a while it dissipated, but the wine unfortunately was blah. Bought on release, and cellared properly. I had high hopes for this bottle.
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11/5/2011 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
A weekend with friends in Germany Mosel area: Part 3: Good berries and chocolate in the bouquet. On the palate ripe Cabernet. A firm amount of sweerness and beautiful acidity. Round tannin and very juicy ripe fruits. Already a feast, but a few years of additional cellaring will make the wine even more complex and lovely. 93 – 95+
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11/5/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 96 Points
Dreamtasting #3 (Bernhard Eifel Restaurant, Trittenheim): Woop, there it is! My man Togni. To me, Togni Cabernet never disappoints. And it didn't. Stunning complexity, very sappy, juicy and joyful, all dressed up in a three piece suit. Black berry-cherry-fruit, cigar-box, nutty, seductive and sexy, this perfume is almost intoxicating. Looooong and well-balanced finish. Just entering its prime drinking window, but has the breed, the power and the versability to stay at this quality level for 15 years or so. To me, this is everything a great red should be. Almost perfect. 19/20
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9/30/2011 - Alexis A wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this. Very smooth and balanced effort. Not the usual "in your face" Californian sauvignon. My buddy visiting from NYC was equally impressed with the style, the elegance and the balance. Drinking well now and surely for a few more years. Next to Haut Brion 86 it held his own.
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9/15/2011 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Tasted in a flight with 2001 Forman, 2001 Togni, 2001 Bond Melbury and 2001 Pahlmeyer) A lovely effort showing a lot of structure and class. Wet granite, cool dark earth, black tea and a lovely herbal tone permat the clost to perfect nose. The palate is powerful with vivid tannins, red mature fruits and subtle green tones. There is an impeccable balance and some signs of age is starting to show. An impressive effort.
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7/5/2011 - dsimmons wrote: 90 Points
A bit off a disapointment here after a stunning bottle of this wine about 3 months ago. As they say there are no good wines, oonly good bottles.
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6/18/2011 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
First of our 2001 vintage purchased on release. Decanted for one hour and then back in the bottle for the BYOB restaurant. Elegant wine that still needed another hour to really peak. As with most Togni cabs, this is still very youthful and will last for years. A delight.
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4/21/2011 - Beachrooster Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark with red edges. Aromas of cherry, currant, black olives, flint, perfume, and minerals. Full bodied wine with excellent mouth feel. Sharp acid and edgy tannins greet fresh and young fruit. An excellent marriage of aggression and control. The finish is very is very long. It just keeps going and going. Almost wanted to give this a barrel score, because it seem so young. Haven't tried this wine in six years and I'm not sure it has changed much.
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4/18/2011 - jlgnml wrote:
Flickinger Wines Ten Years After Tasting: 2001 USA Cabernets and Blends (Their store in Wilmette, IL): Clean color, good nose, spicy and rich on the palate, ranked 3, group 7th
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3/22/2011 - willthethrill wrote: 91 Points
This review summed it up: "Excellent, but not the blockbuster I was expecting. Refined nose of cassis, plums, earth, gravel. Same flavors on palate. Great structure, and although drinking well now, could probably use another couple years. Rating might improve at that point." I enjoyed discovering this wine and look forward to trying other years...
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1/19/2011 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Excellent, but not the blockbuster I was expecting. Refined nose of cassis, plums, earth, gravel. Same flavors on palate. Great structure, and although drinking well now, could probably use another couple years. Rating might improve at that point. Decanted an hour and it needed that time to soften and integrate. Mouth filling tannins, and a little heat (pepper?) on the finish. (Doris 90. Good body, needs a little more time. Plums.)
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8/20/2010 - A&C wrote: 88 Points
This wine is just entering its mature stage. The underlying fruit is nice, and the tannins have calmed down. However, the wine has a distinct green pepper finish, which detracts from the fruit, and which I did not really enjoy. If you like a peppery Cab, this is your stuff. I thought it was just ok.
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8/14/2010 - VCvino wrote: 95 Points
Drinking perfect and very young!
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8/1/2010 - Beachrooster Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark Red. Complex aromas of cherry, currant, mocha, perfume, and minerals. Great balance and lush feel. Everything is working together beautifully. Ripe lush tannins roll on and on. Long excellent finish. Just starting to come around.
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5/29/2010 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
I really enjoyed this, but compared with some other wines brought on island by the group, this was not the group favorite of the night. While I thought there was some nice aged Cali Cab fruit, the ladies thought it had too much green bell pepper in the wine. But since I get to do the rating, not the group, this is my score.
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4/12/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
5th bottle since 2006 and it is finally starting to open up and be delicious. Always had the structure but was hard as nails. Now it has great fruit of black currants and a flowery exotic nose. I think this will get even better in a few more years.
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3/28/2010 - dsimmons wrote: 95 Points
This wine needs a bit of decant time but is drinking well right now. Delicious cab.
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3/27/2010 - muredskin14 wrote: 91 Points
Classic California cab of yesteryear. This wine is still very young, though the cork was reaching the end of its life. Muted fruit, tobacco and pencil shavings earmarked the bottle. While very good, I wished it just gave a little more to deliver the “wow” effect.
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2/5/2010 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine. Layers of plums, cassis, cedar, graphite, tobacco and cedary elements with the oak quite subtle and woven into the background, plenty of structure with fairly firm tannins and bright acidity underneath all the fruit and other flavours, power and density with a sense of balance and elegance.
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12/19/2009 - amred wrote: 92 Points
This was, for us, a traditional CA CS with very varietal features. We did not find it as bordeaux-like as others have commented. We had with a Quilceda Creek 1999 (the clear winner of the evening), a new Porter Family Vineyard blend of merlot/CS and later an Aus. shiraz (Savitar). This was the favorite after the Quilceda Creek. Very nice nose-classic cabernet. In the mouth, as others, not at all overly extracted and there were traditional CS features: cedar and perhaps tobacco, but for us none of the graphite/lead pencil of bordeaux.
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7/13/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 95 Points
Smooth, dark, rich and seductive. A remarkably complex and concentrated wine brimming with ripe, silky currant, blackberry, black cherry and fresh earth and pencil lead nuances. the long, persistent finish reveals extra depth.
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5/24/2009 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
Consumed on vacation after several earlier bottles. Not as big or robust as prior bottles.
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12/6/2008 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Old world style -- pencil lead, leather, tobacco, cedar. Nice wine.
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12/6/2008 - jrobs7777 wrote: 93 Points
Blind California Cabernet Tasting: An earthy rustic, more old world wine which finished middle of the road in our Cali Cab tasting. There was more subtle fruit here with a traditional Bordeaux profile. Graphite, cigar box, cedar and tobacco were prevalent on the nose. Leathery and tasted like mahogany furniture with some dirt. Just for perspective, this was tasted blind after Corra 04 and Scarecrow 05. It was a rather significant departure from the Corra and the contrast was stark. The Scarecrow probably fell in between this and the Corra in terms of profile. Very interesting start to our tasting.
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9/27/2008 - ed-d wrote: 95 Points
This is about as good as Napa Cabernet gets for me. Great cabernet aromas of currant & slight herb. Beautiful sweetness on the palate with just a touch of oak spice. Drinking beautiful now.
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8/11/2008 - jjtarnow wrote: 89 Points
Over paid for the bottle at a charity auction (not a problem....great cause) but expected a bit more from this Spring Mountain legend. I let it decant for about 45 minutes and it was still a bit tart with a flat mouth feel. Not horrible but ended up being the weakest of the three wines we had last night....
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4/6/2008 - deanda wrote: 93 Points
decanted for three hours; still definitely a tannic beast; finish was forever and very bold; a true wonderful complex and structured california cab. Wait on the next bottle for a few years.
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5/10/2007 - Siggy wrote:
2007 France Trip - Pegau, Pierre Usseglio, Monpertuis, Vieux Telegraphe, Dinner w/ Philippe Cambie (Southern Rhone): Decanted 3-4 hours. St. Emilion-like nose. Sweet black fruits and coffee. Concentrated and rich. Showing some oak at first, but the wine darkened and integrated throughout our dinner. Very impressive.
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9/30/2006 - psmith wrote:
Very wound up. Classically styled and slightly hard and green - in a understandably youthful way. Tannic. More accessible on day two.
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7/16/2006 - ddamron wrote: 97 Points
Inky purple color - great finish. Decanted for an hour and opened up beautifully over the next two.
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4/27/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 94 Points
The 1992 Togni Cabernet was a deep, deep purple. Not decanted, but just breathing in the bottle and then in the glass, it displayed a nose of fruit and spice. On the palate, it was a big beast with plum notes, but the tannins I expected were softened nicely.
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11/5/2004 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
OPENED FOR THREE HOURS BEFORE TASTING, SHOWED NICE BLACKBERRY AND BLACK CURRANT FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. LONG FINISH.
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5/1/2004 - caldwell wrote:
Huge wine; quite dense and extracted. Nice cab nose, very typical. A little bit of the greenness that people talk about in Togni. Black color, blood red at rim. Obvious that this was very young and will become something quite special with the fullness
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4/5/2004 - Dteng wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this a biggun...Decanted for 3 hours. This is one huge massive backward wine. I agree with those who said this is more approachable, compared to past Togni's, but still it is quite the tannic beast. It displays a dark murky purple color with incredible concentration and depth. Flavor profile consisted of sweet blackberries, earth/tar, hints of cigar ash and flowers, but these are somewhat reticent behind the primary fruit. It still needs to find some balance, but it is destined for greatness. If you are going to pop one, decant for a minimum of four hours. I will hold my remaining bottles for at least 5 years...and the magnum...
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