Philip Togni Vineyard
- Napa, California, United States
No one is more deserving of this success than Philip Togni, who has made some of the all-time great Napa Valley Cabernets going back to the late 1960s. His daughter Lisa appears to be poised to do the same as she takes over the family estate from her parents.” —Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
In turn, the Togni wines have gained a reputation for astonishing endurance. They are tensile and savory, dark-fruited and cedar-edged, showing the broad, ripe structure that shows mastery with this particular grape. They routinely last 20 years or more, matching the toughness of great old Bordeaux with a Napan generosity.” —Jon Bonné, SF Chronicle
Few winemakers alive today carry the kind of history that Philip Togni does. Long before founding his namesake winery, he was already crafting some of the most iconic wines in California. After a year at Mayacamas in 1959, he became the founding winemaker at Chalone, spent time at Inglenook, and then helped launch Chappellet—producing the acclaimed 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon, still considered one of the greatest ever made in California—before finishing out the 1970s at Cuvaison.
In 1981, while still at Cuvaison, Philip began planting his own vineyard on Spring Mountain. It’s here that he firmly established his legacy. Since the inaugural 1983 vintage, he has produced an unbroken string of world-class wines. Though Philip remains closely involved, his daughter Lisa has led the winemaking since 2007, sharing her father’s gift and guiding the future of this venerable estate.
The Togni vineyard spans 10.5 acres divided into 20 blocks, planted to 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The vines are planted above the fog line at roughly 2,000 feet in shallow, rocky volcanic soils.
From this single site, Philip and Lisa produce two wines: the flagship Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and the second-label Cabernet Sauvignon, Tanbark Hill. Both are made identically in the cellar from 100% destemmed fruit, fermented in stainless steel, and aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak. The flagship is a barrel selection from across the vineyard, while Tanbark Hill comes primarily from a 3-acre block planted on richer soils, along with barrels not selected for the top wine. A true estate, the wines are made, bottled, and stored just steps from the vineyard.
While trends have come and gone over the decades, Philip and Lisa have remained steadfast in the style that made the Togni name legendary, producing age-worthy, mountain-grown Cabernets of unmistakable character.