"This artisanal producer tucked away on the steep hillsides of Spring Mountain continues to fashion some of the most concentrated, inky black-colored Cabernet Sauvignons in California. The more I taste the Cabernets of Philip Togni, the more I admire what he has achieved"
Robert Parker, Jr.
The Wine Advoxcate #102

After having served in the British Army, he enrolled at the Imperial College of Science in London, where he earned a degree in geology; that degree was put to good use as an employee for Shell, which sent him to Columbia and Peru: "Found them some oil, too." His life seemed set; yet after a leave spent in Spain that young geologist decided to abandon his promising career for the joys of wine. A year at University of Montpellier - whose viticultural program is regarded as the finest in France; a short stay in Chile - until overbearing proprietors soured his stay; some time in Algiers - until the gunfire of civil unrest brought him to his senses; and stints at Chateau Lascombes, Mayacamas Vineyards, Chalone Vineyards, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Chappellet Winery, and Cuvaison Estate Wines - his seemed a return to a nomadic and adventurous existence. Yet his stint at Cuvaison exposed him to the Napa Valley's Spring Mountain district, whose fruit he judged to be the very finest he had seen. And it was upon the Spring Mountain district where Philip Togni decided to take root, purchasing long abandoned sloped vineyards upon which he decided to cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon vines.

And no wonder, given the natural advantages his vineyards enjoy over the vineyards of the valley floor below. His sloped vineyards - comprised of gravelly, deep, porous, infertile soils - naturally restrict the crop, but a crop of berries with dense skins rich with flavor. Moreover, his vineyards - elevated as they are 2000 feet above the valley floor and above the fog line of the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast - enjoy not only temperatures 3 to 10 degrees below the swelter of the valley floor but also a more sunny exposure than the vineyards resting below the fog line. Vines enjoying more moderate temperatures (which itself preserve acidity) and a more sunny exposure yield thoroughly ripe fruit not only rich with flavor precursors but also vibrantly fresh with lively fruit notes. And should the vintage demand it, he will manage the canopy and even drop fruit to ensure that his harvest of berries arrive fully ripe at the cellar.

Mindful of his fortune, Togni aims for a gentle extraction to highlight the freshness and density of flavors found in his fruit. He performs a three day pre-fermentation cold soak - a technique (more often deployed with Pinot Noir than Cabernet Sauvignon) whose aim is to maximize the extraction flavor precursors and to minimize the extraction of tannins. Fermentation temperatures are rather high so as to encourage and quick fermentation and to minimize the time spent in alcohol - any longer would risk the further extraction of bitter tannins. The young wine is then pressed and racked off its gross lees before being transferred to oak barrels, where his wines undergo malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation in barrel (a technique more often used with Pinot Noir) inevitably involves the retention of fine lees that demand a gentle stirring from time to time to prevent reductive flavors. The suspended lees not only act as a buffer that prevent the excessive extraction of wood tannins and wood flavors (which can mask the fresh fruit notes earned in the vineyards) but also encourage the formation of compounds that not only improve the texture of the wine but also serve as building blocks and precursors for a further range of flavors and aromas.

And the results? One of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon blends of the Napa Valley.   

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