The Return to the Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): 5 years since we had this and this time from a beautiful magnum that did not fail us. Needs a bit of time to hit its full stride so maybe a 30 minute decant is ideal as beyond that it is purely joyful and dare we say magical. Soft and elegant, round , earthy, leather but still with that beautiful extra dollop of Napa ripeness that carries through 30yrs later. Superb and an easy 96-97
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Kleur: Diep donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Stoer bouquet, klassiek Bordeaux, Smaak / Afdronk: Een iets beperkte zuurgraad, stoere en krachtige Bordeauxblend met een romig mondgevoel, serieuze maar aangename tannines. Harmonieus, verfijnd en met nog zeker 10 jaar ontwikkelingspotentieel. Algemeen / potentieel: Ik ken weinig wijnen uit Napa Valley die werkelijk in alles zo ongelofelijk 'Frans' lijken als Philip Togni. Bij werkelijk èlke blinde proeverij met Bordeaxblends uit Bordeaux en Napa zet deze wijn ook de serieuze kenners op het verkeerde been… 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 95/100
Colour: Deep dark red. Aroma / bouquet: Tough bouquet, classic Bordeaux, Taste / Aftertaste: A slightly limited acidity, tough and powerful Bordeaux blend with a creamy mouthfeel, serious but pleasant tannins. Harmonious, refined and with at least another 10 years of development potential. General / potential: I know of few wines from Napa Valley that really seem as incredibly 'French' in everything as Philip Togni. In absolutely every blind tasting with Bordeax blends from Bordeaux and Napa, this wine also misleads serious connoisseurs... 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Aftertaste: 19 + General / potential: 8 = 95/100
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Brilliant showing. Very Graves bouquet with smokey and stony notes and whiff of green. Beautiful palate, quite old school but with plenty of round fruit to provide ballast to the acids and earthy tones. Mayhap too green for some, but I seriously dig. A wonderful combo of rustic ripeness. At peak. 93+ pts.
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Phillip Togni Retrospective: Nose offers more intense florals in this vintage, and also oddly a slightly celeraic component. Nice today, likely approaching maturity.
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Philip Togni vertical (1983-96) (Chicago, IL): This was relatively nondescript, especially coming after the brilliance of the 1992. The nose has a mild earthy element to complement the red fruit. Again, this seems to be an acid-driven wine, but the palate doesn't deliver anywhere as much complexity as the 1992. Another bottle that doesn't seem to have too much structure, this is a wine I'd say is ready for drinking now.
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The Papies 25th Anniversary Dinner & 1993 Vintage Horizontal (Hide, London): 10 Bottles from the original case. Opened and left to rest for a good hour, then decanted and served. This wine was simply superb. The nose was singing, soft, leather, well secondary, light spice, soft dark fruits. On the palate was just a joy for people like us who love evolved old school Bordeaux. Classic Togni here, made with a light had but still with the density of fruit that comes from Napa. Soft, silky tannin, good acidity, very healthy and just a masterclass and a joy. Ok we are a little biased here but the wine deserves a 95-96 and drinks at peak now.
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California BYOB #4: incredible Bordeaux style Napa Cab. Elegant and full of finesse. Beautiful mature nose with leafs, cedar, dry fruit, barnyard, grass and blyerts. Smooth and elegant mouthfeel, grippy acidity, moderate oak, surprisingly young and virile. Impressive wine! 5 BV, runner-up tonight.
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Strawberry water, strawberry seed, red and black currant, loam, and dirt. A bitter green tinge on the back end. Middle of the pack among the Tognis tasted; fairly unremarkable overall, even by comparison to the others.
Requires decanting and a good hour of it too. Once again a superb show from one of our favorite producers. Classic in its style , a Bordeaux with that extra level of Napa ripeness but all in balance and harmony. Earthy notes mingle with good ripe fruit, herby touches and just was a very beautiful show of well aged, classically made Napa. Solid 93 and drinks very well now and we would suggest one starts to drink them.
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Cellared since release. Removed from cellar for dinner, allowed to warm to room temperature and decanted for 2 hours. Purple in the glass with aging rim. It has a rich nose of plums, orange and anise. The palate is of mature plums, blackberry, dark fruits and, on the back end, slightly sour cherry. There is still a tang on the back of the tongue, testimony to residual tannins.The wine improved substantially over 6 hours and paired very well with dinner. This is precisely what I hoped for from a 25 year old Spring Mountain Cabernet. It has a medium body with very long finish. This wine has aged spectacularly well and proves that Napa Cabernets can age as well as well as first growth Bordeaux. This wine is outstanding!
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Chicago Wine Flock...Don Serving So Many Great Blind Wines/Flights (Park Ridge, IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Lynch-Bages/ Togni flight. Once again this was so similar to the prior two wines with spice-a-plenty and an almost sweet richness. Moderate power, excellent balance, very good length. My 3rd favorite of the flight given its wonderful balance, group's #6.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Nice bouquet. Dark red. On the palate dark cherry, plums, mocha, cedar box, tobacco and a bit of mineral. Togni cabs always taste like left bank Bordeaux to me, so I brought it to try to fool Walter and Michael. (Seemed to work.) Nice finish. Excellent wine, better than I expected for the 1993.
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Fall auctions return - Acker Sept 2016 (Marea in NYC): Found this wine to be quite compelling which is saying something given everything else being poured on the table. Surprisingly young (I wrote that word multiple times in my notes). It's mostly pepper but there's hints of red fruit poking through. A good balance to it now, but feels like it has many more years and might even continue to improve (current CT window of 2013 is much too short).
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Bu à la bouteille, sans être décanté. Des arômes de tabac, de cuir, de réglisse, et de prune rouge. Un vin magnifique, à son apogée. Au goût, beaucoup de fraicheur et de fruits rouges. Les tanins sont souples, le vin n'ayant pas perdu ses couleurs. À boire dans la prochaine année. A big WOW, ready to drink.
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A masterful wine. Dark cherry,tobacco, long finish - so complete. Good wine choice on a night with the wind howling outside and 2 feet of snow and it is still coming down. Supposedly, an off vintage,but you wouldn't know it from this wine. It tasted like a mature Pauillac.
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Gotta love these Togni cabernets when you can be patient enough to forget about them for their first 10-15 years! I've had some younger Togni cabs that almost go through a period of funk only to emerge as swans years down the road. This was the first time I've had this vintage from a sub $35 purchase back in 1996. I didn't expect quite this showing for this vintage given the other reviews I've read, although most are quite favorable. Cork was saturated almost to the top but ullage was still good and other than some light bricking this wine seems ever youthful and could probably easily hold another 10 years in a cool cellar. This wine was rocking out of the gates with notes of sweet black cherries. The wine sports a mineral laden finish that goes on and on. Cigar box aromas emerge with some aeration. I was humbled by this wine which, although not the 1991, isn't that far off the mark. Beautiful wine!
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Black olive, black cherry, Indian spices, peppercorn, sweet cedar, plum, pencil shavings. Fully mature, drink now. Not my most memorable Togni but an excellent wine nevertheless and IMO worthy of it's price to me @ $90.
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This 21 year old is in good form. The quite perfumed but not exaggerated nose shows still primary red berry fruit, red floral and mineral touches with a dab of cedar. The palate is up-front being full/medium bodied and quite rich on entry showing more red fruit, underlying roundness and very lively acidity with the aromas from the nose continuing. The overall effect is quite elegant. However, it tails off somewhat towards the finish with little support from refined tannins but the attractive aromas remain perceptible for some time. I believe that 1993 was not a ripe vintage by Californian standards but that is probably a positive factor for my European palate. Very good.
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Very well balanced, tannins nicely integrated and fine. Green almost bell pepper aromas and taste, would have mistaken this for a great Cabernet Franc in blind tasting. Drinking very nicely at present, but doubt will improve in cellar
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): This was hitting on all cylinders for me. Exactly what I'd expect a wine of this caliber. Cloudy ruby color. Tinting brick at the rim especially. Pretty bright cherries, tomato. Palate is soft and still showing nice resolved tannins. Subtle and feminine caressing and balanced. Some green herbs and olive on the finish as well. Really nice. Drink now.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Dark ruby core with some bricking at the rim. Notes of blackberry leaf, leather, earth and a hint of cedary dark fruits. Medium-bodied, round texture, lacking just a bit in terms of depth and lift; tannins have fully resolved, with not a harsh edge to be found. I think this wine reached peak maturity a few years ago, and should be drunk up.
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The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner. A medium purple-ruby core, turning to blood red at the rim. Aromas of plum, roasted herbs, tapenade, and briar patch. The bouquet became more subdued over time. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, good depth, and a long and focused finish. Did not improve in the glass; time to drink up!
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Wow, amazing nose of tobacco, cedar, chocolate & rosemary. More restrained on the palate with tight, grippy tannins. Still, smooth & refined and a gem of a wine.
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Tasted double-blind. Had a bit of green pepper on the nose, on the palate, New World-feeling with a slight picklish note. Guessed Dominus or Montelena for the heck of it. 92+
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11/24/11. Let it sit in the glass for 30 minutes but it definitely got better over the next hour. Still a young wine in color and nose. Plenty of black fruits, cassis and firm but pliable tannins. Still young enough where the tannins are smooth but not silky. There are some wonderful layers of hard leather and hints of spice too. The wine is still young enough were 60 minutes in a decanter would be best.
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Sampled February 14, 2011. This bottle did not have the rootbeer elements that I tasted in the last bottle. Still plenty of black cherry, with some red fruits this time around. Still the cedar, leather, a hint of menthol, and spice notes of the last bottle. The wine is smooth and nearly silky. The finish is long. The acidity seemed a bit higher in this bottle, as we evident by more crystals on the bottom of the cork. Also a full tablespoon of sediment in this bottle. I'd have given this bottle only a couple more years left in it top form.
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An excellent older Cal. Cab. Full as when bottled, lovely deep color, fair nose, only a hint of tannins, no sediment and plenty of delicious fruit...a perfect match for a beef standing rib roast. Both bottles consumed when opened, it did improve in the glass as time progressed.
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Dark, brooding nose.There was obvious sous bois on the nose with dusty tannins. Palate was a bit acidic and didn't over much in the way of fruit. I enjoyed this wine, but thought there was a lot of room on the palate for improvement.
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Dinner at Matt's (Washington, DC): Great nose. Bramble and herb with coffee grounds. Slightly disappointing palate. Thin and acidic with bitter cherry pit on the palate. Not sure if this is bottle variation or what but I don't see what the deal is with these other scores. For context, I just tasted through some other 90s Napa Cabs and this would have placed near the bottom.
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Sampled October 30, 2010. What an interesting wine! There is no clear pattern among the Tognis from '90 through '93. Each is significantly different from the others. The '93 is the most unusual of them all. Black cherry, some rootbeer elements!, cedar, leather, a hint of menthol, and spice. The wine is smooth and nearly silky. The finish is long. Another exceptional effort by Togni. No rush. This wine's got at least another 5+ years in it at top form.
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Wow! The nose is pure Pauillac with an added punch of framboise and current fruit. Cedar, leather and spice. No way would I pick this out as Cali Cab blind. Deep purple at the core this showed little sign of bricking. Still a baby but likely drinking at apogee.
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Disappointing after the last wonderful complex bottle that I enjoyed. This bottle was faded with only a tart unpleasant fruit component left. Still some interesting aromatics but they are also muted. Drink up
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Wonderful mature california cabernet. Garnet color, medium body, nose just screams cassis but there is more there...eucalyptus is strong and maybe a bit of a salty meaty flavor. Just a home run at this point
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A dark ruby core turning to garnet at the rim. Aromas of roasted herbs, creosote, black fruits and spice. Medium-bodied, with good concentration, a more "classic" structure, with a long and focused finish. I do believe this is the first Togni that I have drank (including the '90 and many 92's and 93's) that has shown obvious signs of age! This particular bottle probably was at peak maturity, and maybe even on the the gentle slope down.
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Fill was base neck; the cork was sound. Had a more mature appearance than previous bottles, with a ruby-purple core, turning to garnet at the edge. The bouquet was shy and restrained compared to prior examples, but did offer up notes of ripe dark fruits and herbs. Medium-bodied, with good structure, a generous mid-palate, and a long finish.
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Another fantastic bottle of the '93 Togni. A fairly dark color, turning to red at the edge. A very outgoing bouquet, offering up impressive notes of ripe dark fruits, herbs, creosote and tapenade. Bruce noted olives and green pepper, and was convinced that this must have a high percentage of Petit Verdot. It does not, but the aromatic profile could suggest otherwise. Medium-bodied on the palate, with great concentration, length, and complexity. A great wine that seems to be fully mature.
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This wine was shockingly good; not even recognizable when compared to the '93 Togni that I had a few years ago. A very dark, nearly opaque purple core, turning towards ruby at the rim. The familiar Togni bouquet was instantly apparent, offering notes of ripe dark fruits, tree bark and creosote; further airing revealed hints of wet rocks and asphalt. Medium-bodied on the palate, with good concentration and fine length, but what really sold me was the incredible focus and dilenation on the finish. This bottle was equal to the '92 Togni, which is very high praise indeed.
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Dark purple color with hints of brownish red tones around the edges; with an hour of aeration hints of spice, chocolate and tar began ot show on the nose; medium body; ripe fruit with firm tannins; mid-palate a little hollow; finishes a somewhat hot; probably at its peak.
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Must say, I enjoyed this much more then the other tasting notes that have been posted. From 1.5 lush fruit, but not in your face. Palate was well intergrated with good acidity. Really enjoyed this.
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Tucson - Thursday Night Tasting (Raj's house): Big, lush fruit on the nose, with a touch of stewed tomatoes. On the palate, very dark, sweet plums. I think this is a touch cooked. A bit of chocolate, some oaky vanilla.
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WIML80-,WA94,WS88 Tasted March 26, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Dark purple, almost crimson in color, clear hue throughout. Offputting nose of dried herbs and way too many bell peppers. Guess what it tasted like? Bell peppers, bell peppers and more bell peppers. “How would like your bell peppers prepared this evening sir, with dried herbs?” I’m being generous with my rating in the hopes that I had a bad bottle or maybe it needed twenty years of age, six weeks of decanting or a splash of Marquis Philips Shiraz to brighten it up a bit. This wine sucked. Pass.
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Ecclectic Easter Tasting at Asti Trattoria (Asti Trattoria): A real disappointment. I had high hopes for this, but the stewed vegetable and bell pepper notes in this wine were just such a turn-off that I eventually poured it out. Add to this that the wine showed incredibly high acidity and surprisingly low fruit levels, and it was barely drinkable. Could have been an off-bottle.
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From magnum. Dark garnet colour. On the palate, currant, cedar, spice, tobacco, and vegetal notes. Palate follows from nose, adding plums. Moderate finish, ~30s, with blackberry and cedar.
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Tasted from magnum at Vintage Wines, Ltd. (Bob Bartnett's "killer bar"). Bright disc. Opaque ruby/red robe with red rim. Clean but VERY vegetal nose. Virtually no fruit. Palate likewise vegetal, with melted tannins. Medium, smooth but vegetal finish. I am told that this is Togni's "style." If this is true, I would rather order the steamed vegetable plate and save the money!
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1/6/2024 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
The Return to the Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): 5 years since we had this and this time from a beautiful magnum that did not fail us.
Needs a bit of time to hit its full stride so maybe a 30 minute decant is ideal as beyond that it is purely joyful and dare we say magical. Soft and elegant, round , earthy, leather but still with that beautiful extra dollop of Napa ripeness that carries through 30yrs later. Superb and an easy 96-97
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11/5/2023 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Kleur: Diep donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Stoer bouquet, klassiek Bordeaux, Smaak / Afdronk: Een iets beperkte zuurgraad, stoere en krachtige Bordeauxblend met een romig mondgevoel, serieuze maar aangename tannines. Harmonieus, verfijnd en met nog zeker 10 jaar ontwikkelingspotentieel. Algemeen / potentieel: Ik ken weinig wijnen uit Napa Valley die werkelijk in alles zo ongelofelijk 'Frans' lijken als Philip Togni. Bij werkelijk èlke blinde proeverij met Bordeaxblends uit Bordeaux en Napa zet deze wijn ook de serieuze kenners op het verkeerde been… 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 95/100
Colour: Deep dark red. Aroma / bouquet: Tough bouquet, classic Bordeaux, Taste / Aftertaste: A slightly limited acidity, tough and powerful Bordeaux blend with a creamy mouthfeel, serious but pleasant tannins. Harmonious, refined and with at least another 10 years of development potential. General / potential: I know of few wines from Napa Valley that really seem as incredibly 'French' in everything as Philip Togni. In absolutely every blind tasting with Bordeax blends from Bordeaux and Napa, this wine also misleads serious connoisseurs... 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Aftertaste: 19 + General / potential: 8 = 95/100
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1/6/2022 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 100 Points
what a surprise- this is phenomenal right now
simply cannot be better
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7/28/2021 - HotelHarrington Likes this wine: 93 Points
She’s at peak. Doesn’t really require decant. Still some beautiful fruit, resolved tannins, great tertiary notes. Drink up!
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9/13/2019 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Brilliant showing. Very Graves bouquet with smokey and stony notes and whiff of green. Beautiful palate, quite old school but with plenty of round fruit to provide ballast to the acids and earthy tones. Mayhap too green for some, but I seriously dig. A wonderful combo of rustic ripeness. At peak. 93+ pts.
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5/8/2019 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Phillip Togni Retrospective: Nose offers more intense florals in this vintage, and also oddly a slightly celeraic component. Nice today, likely approaching maturity.
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5/8/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Philip Togni vertical (1983-96) (Chicago, IL): This was relatively nondescript, especially coming after the brilliance of the 1992. The nose has a mild earthy element to complement the red fruit. Again, this seems to be an acid-driven wine, but the palate doesn't deliver anywhere as much complexity as the 1992. Another bottle that doesn't seem to have too much structure, this is a wine I'd say is ready for drinking now.
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10/20/2018 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
The Papies 25th Anniversary Dinner & 1993 Vintage Horizontal (Hide, London): 10 Bottles from the original case. Opened and left to rest for a good hour, then decanted and served.
This wine was simply superb. The nose was singing, soft, leather, well secondary, light spice, soft dark fruits. On the palate was just a joy for people like us who love evolved old school Bordeaux. Classic Togni here, made with a light had but still with the density of fruit that comes from Napa. Soft, silky tannin, good acidity, very healthy and just a masterclass and a joy. Ok we are a little biased here but the wine deserves a 95-96 and drinks at peak now.
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10/20/2018 - Papies wrote: flawed
Corked. Shame.
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9/13/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 93 Points
California BYOB #4: incredible Bordeaux style Napa Cab. Elegant and full of finesse. Beautiful mature nose with leafs, cedar, dry fruit, barnyard, grass and blyerts. Smooth and elegant mouthfeel, grippy acidity, moderate oak, surprisingly young and virile. Impressive wine! 5 BV, runner-up tonight.
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8/3/2018 - csimm wrote:
Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery - Aubert, Shafer, Bevan, Sea Smoke, Togni, and more... (Calistoga): From a vertical of Philip Togni ‘89, ‘90, ‘91, ‘93, ‘96, ‘97. While these were all past their primes in my opinion, and a definite challenge for my tendency to favor much younger and more modern expressions of this varietal, the Togni wines offered an educational lesson in the advancement of wine.
Strawberry water, strawberry seed, red and black currant, loam, and dirt. A bitter green tinge on the back end. Middle of the pack among the Tognis tasted; fairly unremarkable overall, even by comparison to the others.
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5/27/2018 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Requires decanting and a good hour of it too.
Once again a superb show from one of our favorite producers. Classic in its style , a Bordeaux with that extra level of Napa ripeness but all in balance and harmony. Earthy notes mingle with good ripe fruit, herby touches and just was a very beautiful show of well aged, classically made Napa. Solid 93 and drinks very well now and we would suggest one starts to drink them.
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4/8/2018 - In vino potestus est Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cellared since release. Removed from cellar for dinner, allowed to warm to room temperature and decanted for 2 hours. Purple in the glass with aging rim. It has a rich nose of plums, orange and anise. The palate is of mature plums, blackberry, dark fruits and, on the back end, slightly sour cherry. There is still a tang on the back of the tongue, testimony to residual tannins.The wine improved substantially over 6 hours and paired very well with dinner. This is precisely what I hoped for from a 25 year old Spring Mountain Cabernet. It has a medium body with very long finish. This wine has aged spectacularly well and proves that Napa Cabernets can age as well as well as first growth Bordeaux. This wine is outstanding!
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9/17/2017 - ledocq wrote: flawed
Undrinkable.
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8/31/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...Don Serving So Many Great Blind Wines/Flights (Park Ridge, IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Lynch-Bages/ Togni flight. Once again this was so similar to the prior two wines with spice-a-plenty and an almost sweet richness. Moderate power, excellent balance, very good length. My 3rd favorite of the flight given its wonderful balance, group's #6.
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7/4/2017 - Salute Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now. Very mellow - but opened up and improved in depth after 60 minute decant (sediment present) Beautiful CA cab.
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7/1/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 93 Points
very enjoyable mature california cab tannins completely resolved drink up
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6/27/2017 - MJTed Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smith River Trip. Still going strong. Soft tannins graceful fruit and complex
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5/27/2017 - Rixon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Smiskar det mesta från Bordeaux, kort och gott. Testas blint, och samtliga landar i Pauillac (eller liknande). Fab.
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10/30/2016 - mhudes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Nice bouquet. Dark red. On the palate dark cherry, plums, mocha, cedar box, tobacco and a bit of mineral. Togni cabs always taste like left bank Bordeaux to me, so I brought it to try to fool Walter and Michael. (Seemed to work.) Nice finish. Excellent wine, better than I expected for the 1993.
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9/10/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Fall auctions return - Acker Sept 2016 (Marea in NYC): Found this wine to be quite compelling which is saying something given everything else being poured on the table. Surprisingly young (I wrote that word multiple times in my notes). It's mostly pepper but there's hints of red fruit poking through. A good balance to it now, but feels like it has many more years and might even continue to improve (current CT window of 2013 is much too short).
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1/26/2016 - dandy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bu à la bouteille, sans être décanté. Des arômes de tabac, de cuir, de réglisse, et de prune rouge. Un vin magnifique, à son apogée. Au goût, beaucoup de fraicheur et de fruits rouges. Les tanins sont souples, le vin n'ayant pas perdu ses couleurs. À boire dans la prochaine année. A big WOW, ready to drink.
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1/23/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
A masterful wine. Dark cherry,tobacco, long finish - so complete. Good wine choice on a night with the wind howling outside and 2 feet of snow and it is still coming down. Supposedly, an off vintage,but you wouldn't know it from this wine. It tasted like a mature Pauillac.
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9/18/2015 - RUDEDOG Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gotta love these Togni cabernets when you can be patient enough to forget about them for their first 10-15 years! I've had some younger Togni cabs that almost go through a period of funk only to emerge as swans years down the road. This was the first time I've had this vintage from a sub $35 purchase back in 1996. I didn't expect quite this showing for this vintage given the other reviews I've read, although most are quite favorable. Cork was saturated almost to the top but ullage was still good and other than some light bricking this wine seems ever youthful and could probably easily hold another 10 years in a cool cellar. This wine was rocking out of the gates with notes of sweet black cherries. The wine sports a mineral laden finish that goes on and on. Cigar box aromas emerge with some aeration. I was humbled by this wine which, although not the 1991, isn't that far off the mark. Beautiful wine!
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8/20/2015 - eboracum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good as before. My last bottle of two. A very satisfactory purchase.
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6/6/2015 - Wine Trader Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black olive, black cherry, Indian spices, peppercorn, sweet cedar, plum, pencil shavings. Fully mature, drink now. Not my most memorable Togni but an excellent wine nevertheless and IMO worthy of it's price to me @ $90.
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11/26/2014 - eboracum Likes this wine: 91 Points
This 21 year old is in good form. The quite perfumed but not exaggerated nose shows still primary red berry fruit, red floral and mineral touches with a dab of cedar. The palate is up-front being full/medium bodied and quite rich on entry showing more red fruit, underlying roundness and very lively acidity with the aromas from the nose continuing. The overall effect is quite elegant. However, it tails off somewhat towards the finish with little support from refined tannins but the attractive aromas remain perceptible for some time. I believe that 1993 was not a ripe vintage by Californian standards but that is probably a positive factor for my European palate. Very good.
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10/4/2014 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF LEATHER AND CIGAR BOX. CONTINUED TO IMPROVE, LONG FINISH.
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7/1/2013 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very well balanced, tannins nicely integrated and fine. Green almost bell pepper aromas and taste, would have mistaken this for a great Cabernet Franc in blind tasting. Drinking very nicely at present, but doubt will improve in cellar
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12/29/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): This was hitting on all cylinders for me. Exactly what I'd expect a wine of this caliber.
Cloudy ruby color. Tinting brick at the rim especially.
Pretty bright cherries, tomato. Palate is soft and still showing nice resolved tannins.
Subtle and feminine caressing and balanced. Some green herbs and olive on the finish as well. Really nice. Drink now.
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12/29/2012 - psmith wrote: 90 Points
Green tobacco with a black fruit undercurrent. Mature. In good balance, with finer tannins than I sometimes see in the vintage and wine. Nice.
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12/24/2012 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Dark ruby core with some bricking at the rim. Notes of blackberry leaf, leather, earth and a hint of cedary dark fruits. Medium-bodied, round texture, lacking just a bit in terms of depth and lift; tannins have fully resolved, with not a harsh edge to be found. I think this wine reached peak maturity a few years ago, and should be drunk up.
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10/25/2012 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner. A medium purple-ruby core, turning to blood red at the rim. Aromas of plum, roasted herbs, tapenade, and briar patch. The bouquet became more subdued over time. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, good depth, and a long and focused finish. Did not improve in the glass; time to drink up!
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6/1/2012 - JorgeH wrote: 93 Points
Wow, amazing nose of tobacco, cedar, chocolate & rosemary. More restrained on the palate with tight, grippy tannins. Still, smooth & refined and a gem of a wine.
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5/22/2012 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Tasted double-blind. Had a bit of green pepper on the nose, on the palate, New World-feeling with a slight picklish note. Guessed Dominus or Montelena for the heck of it. 92+
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4/21/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 93 Points
Chicory, mineral, espresso, sweet currant, ripe and saturating. Technically perfect, this is great Napa cab taken to the next level.
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11/24/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
11/24/11. Let it sit in the glass for 30 minutes but it definitely got better over the next hour. Still a young wine in color and nose. Plenty of black fruits, cassis and firm but pliable tannins. Still young enough where the tannins are smooth but not silky. There are some wonderful layers of hard leather and hints of spice too. The wine is still young enough were 60 minutes in a decanter would be best.
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3/5/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice older cab but not the special bottle that I was hoping fo.r
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2/15/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled February 14, 2011. This bottle did not have the rootbeer elements that I tasted in the last bottle. Still plenty of black cherry, with some red fruits this time around. Still the cedar, leather, a hint of menthol, and spice notes of the last bottle. The wine is smooth and nearly silky. The finish is long. The acidity seemed a bit higher in this bottle, as we evident by more crystals on the bottom of the cork. Also a full tablespoon of sediment in this bottle. I'd have given this bottle only a couple more years left in it top form.
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11/25/2010 - michaelhgraham wrote: 92 Points
An excellent older Cal. Cab. Full as when bottled, lovely deep color, fair nose, only a hint of tannins, no sediment and plenty of delicious fruit...a perfect match for a beef standing rib roast. Both bottles consumed when opened, it did improve in the glass as time progressed.
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11/13/2010 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Dark, brooding nose.There was obvious sous bois on the nose with dusty tannins. Palate was a bit acidic and didn't over much in the way of fruit. I enjoyed this wine, but thought there was a lot of room on the palate for improvement.
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11/12/2010 - jahlove wrote: 88 Points
Dinner at Matt's (Washington, DC): Great nose. Bramble and herb with coffee grounds. Slightly disappointing palate. Thin and acidic with bitter cherry pit on the palate. Not sure if this is bottle variation or what but I don't see what the deal is with these other scores. For context, I just tasted through some other 90s Napa Cabs and this would have placed near the bottom.
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11/5/2010 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled October 30, 2010. What an interesting wine! There is no clear pattern among the Tognis from '90 through '93. Each is significantly different from the others. The '93 is the most unusual of them all. Black cherry, some rootbeer elements!, cedar, leather, a hint of menthol, and spice. The wine is smooth and nearly silky. The finish is long. Another exceptional effort by Togni. No rush. This wine's got at least another 5+ years in it at top form.
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7/25/2010 - KellyW wrote: 96 Points
Wow! The nose is pure Pauillac with an added punch of framboise and current fruit. Cedar, leather and spice. No way would I pick this out as Cali Cab blind. Deep purple at the core this showed little sign of bricking. Still a baby but likely drinking at apogee.
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12/20/2009 - Chrisinroch wrote: 84 Points
Disappointing after the last wonderful complex bottle that I enjoyed. This bottle was faded with only a tart unpleasant fruit component left. Still some interesting aromatics but they are also muted. Drink up
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10/16/2009 - Chrisinroch wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful mature california cabernet. Garnet color, medium body, nose just screams cassis but there is more there...eucalyptus is strong and maybe a bit of a salty meaty flavor. Just a home run at this point
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4/4/2009 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A dark ruby core turning to garnet at the rim. Aromas of roasted herbs, creosote, black fruits and spice. Medium-bodied, with good concentration, a more "classic" structure, with a long and focused finish. I do believe this is the first Togni that I have drank (including the '90 and many 92's and 93's) that has shown obvious signs of age! This particular bottle probably was at peak maturity, and maybe even on the the gentle slope down.
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10/25/2008 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
Fill was base neck; the cork was sound. Had a more mature appearance than previous bottles, with a ruby-purple core, turning to garnet at the edge. The bouquet was shy and restrained compared to prior examples, but did offer up notes of ripe dark fruits and herbs. Medium-bodied, with good structure, a generous mid-palate, and a long finish.
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9/17/2008 - MCL wrote: 92 Points
No veg., maybe a little short on fruit but very good.
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9/4/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Another fantastic bottle of the '93 Togni. A fairly dark color, turning to red at the edge. A very outgoing bouquet, offering up impressive notes of ripe dark fruits, herbs, creosote and tapenade. Bruce noted olives and green pepper, and was convinced that this must have a high percentage of Petit Verdot. It does not, but the aromatic profile could suggest otherwise. Medium-bodied on the palate, with great concentration, length, and complexity. A great wine that seems to be fully mature.
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6/25/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
This wine was shockingly good; not even recognizable when compared to the '93 Togni that I had a few years ago. A very dark, nearly opaque purple core, turning towards ruby at the rim. The familiar Togni bouquet was instantly apparent, offering notes of ripe dark fruits, tree bark and creosote; further airing revealed hints of wet rocks and asphalt. Medium-bodied on the palate, with good concentration and fine length, but what really sold me was the incredible focus and dilenation on the finish. This bottle was equal to the '92 Togni, which is very high praise indeed.
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3/26/2008 - knelsfk wrote: 87 Points
Dark purple color with hints of brownish red tones around the edges; with an hour of aeration hints of spice, chocolate and tar began ot show on the nose; medium body; ripe fruit with firm tannins; mid-palate a little hollow; finishes a somewhat hot; probably at its peak.
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1/9/2008 - RWilkinson wrote:
Must say, I enjoyed this much more then the other tasting notes that have been posted. From 1.5 lush fruit, but not in your face. Palate was well intergrated with good acidity. Really enjoyed this.
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10/12/2006 - trankin wrote: flawed
Tucson - Thursday Night Tasting (Raj's house): Big, lush fruit on the nose, with a touch of stewed tomatoes. On the palate, very dark, sweet plums. I think this is a touch cooked. A bit of chocolate, some oaky vanilla.
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7/1/2006 - caldwell wrote:
Consumed in lieu of an earlier bottle, this had more fruit than the Pichon Baron but didn't have the complexity, as I recall.
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5/7/2006 - jmd60611 wrote: 88 Points
Ok bottle too litle fruit for my taste
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3/26/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 80 Points
WIML80-,WA94,WS88
Tasted March 26, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Dark purple, almost crimson in color, clear hue throughout. Offputting nose of dried herbs and way too many bell peppers. Guess what it tasted like? Bell peppers, bell peppers and more bell peppers. “How would like your bell peppers prepared this evening sir, with dried herbs?” I’m being generous with my rating in the hopes that I had a bad bottle or maybe it needed twenty years of age, six weeks of decanting or a splash of Marquis Philips Shiraz to brighten it up a bit. This wine sucked. Pass.
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3/26/2005 - Winetex wrote:
Ecclectic Easter Tasting at Asti Trattoria II (Asti Trattoria, Austin, Texas): No rating as I think this bottle was probably off. The vegetal notes in the aromas were enough to make me almost not want to taste it. A disappointment for a wine that should have been much better.
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3/26/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 75 Points
Ecclectic Easter Tasting at Asti Trattoria (Asti Trattoria): A real disappointment. I had high hopes for this, but the stewed vegetable and bell pepper notes in this wine were just such a turn-off that I eventually poured it out. Add to this that the wine showed incredibly high acidity and surprisingly low fruit levels, and it was barely drinkable. Could have been an off-bottle.
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1/22/2005 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
From magnum. Dark garnet colour. On the palate, currant, cedar, spice, tobacco, and vegetal notes. Palate follows from nose, adding plums. Moderate finish, ~30s, with blackberry and cedar.
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7/12/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 74 Points
Tasted from magnum at Vintage Wines, Ltd. (Bob Bartnett's "killer bar"). Bright disc. Opaque ruby/red robe with red rim. Clean but VERY vegetal nose. Virtually no fruit. Palate likewise vegetal, with melted tannins. Medium, smooth but vegetal finish. I am told that this is Togni's "style." If this is true, I would rather order the steamed vegetable plate and save the money!
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