1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
I have always adored Togni's 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate because it captures both the natural intensity of the year and the vibrancy that makes these wines so compelling. Powerful and explosive, with huge density, the 1997 hits the palate with waves of dark fruit intermingled with savory herb, charcoal, tobacco and grilled herb overtones. Even with all of its intensity, the 1997 has enough textural richness to drink for another 10-15 years, maybe more, as there is still quite a bit of structure and tannin. Hints of cedar, tobacco, crushed leaves and game add the closing shades of nuance. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Bright, dark red. Wild, sexy scents of raspberry, game, olive tapenade, pepper, cedar, mocha and mountain herbs are wonderfully perfumed and subtle. This firmly built, aromatic midweight Cabernet is not especially voluptuous or generous but has the energy and definition to continue to improve for years. Savory more than sweet but still with terrific dark fruit retention. This classic ageworthy wine (Old World comes to Spring Mountain?) still shows some reserve but is impeccably balanced. Finishes with perfectly buffered tannins and subtle rising length.
Togni’s 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon presented a pretty similar profile, but with more textural richness and volume and fewer of the savory notes found in the 1994. Most people preferred the 1997, and I have to agree. The 1994 would have been the best wine on the table virtually in any other dinner, but then the 1997 arrived and conquered the heart, intellect and palate with its superb balance and overall sense of harmony. What a wine!
About the producer
Perched at nearly 2,000 feet atop Spring Mountain, Philip Togni Vineyard is one of Napa Valley’s most revered small, family-run wineries. Established in the early 1980s by legendary winemaker Philip Togni, the estate has earned consistent critical acclaim for its age-worthy, Bordeaux-style blends.