When Philip Togni released his winery’s first Cabernet in 1983, he already had more than 20 California vintages under his belt. He first arrived in Napa in 1959, to help plant Mayacamas Vineyards on Mount Veeder, then made acclaimed wines at places like Chappellet and Chalone, among others. This is a man mentioned in the same breath as Andre Tchelistcheff and Robert Mondavi—a seminal figure in the ‘60s/’70s Napa Valley wine revolution—and yet his winery, perched at 2,000 feet on Spring Mountain, is all about small-scale simplicity.
There’s no Italianate mansion or wrought-iron gate, just 10 acres of hillside vines and a few cottage-style buildings where the Tognis live and work. Now 90 years old and still at it (with the able assistance of his winemaker daughter, Lisa), Togni and his wines are throwbacks to the lower-alcohol, lower-extract, 1976 Paris Tasting era of Napa Cabernet. The American palate hasn’t really stuck by him, often opting for a much bigger, richer, sweeter breed of wine, but he’s remained true to his elegant style. Togni’s 2014 Tanbark Hill Cabernet Sauvignon—the “second wine” of his small property—is a California Cabernet with a sense of proportion and place. There’s nothing trendy about it, which is precisely why we’re recommending it.
The 2014 is a deep ruby red in the glass, with garnet reflections at the rim, and the aromatics are high-toned and perfumed—there’s an appealing mix of cherry kirsch, black currant, black raspberry, cedar shavings, tobacco, violets, and a hint of tar. Medium-plus in body, with gripping tannins and bright acid, it is nevertheless plush and accessible in its youth: in so many instances, California Cabernets are driven by their extract (the dissolved solids that lend viscosity), to the point where that concentrated fruit component starts to mask the tannin/acid structure, like water breaching a dam. In this wine, the acidity and tannin are not only recognizable, they frame the fruit and keep sweetness in check. I think this wine is a great study in classical ‘structure,’ in that you can really feel the component parts of the wine joining together to create harmony. If you’re enjoying it now, decant it an hour before serving in large Bordeaux stems at about 65 degrees. If you’re planning on stashing it away, I’d say it’ll be peaking around its 10th birthday. As this wine is likely to put you in a Francophilic mood, here’s a recipe for Bordelaise Sauce to showcase Tanbark Hill in old school Médoc style.