New Jersey Wine Restaurant and Shopping Guide - Monmouth County

Pier Village New Jersey- Pier Village is a top destination in Monmouth County for shopping, restaurants and oceanfront condominiums
Red Bank Restaurants - For a directory of all restaurants located in Red bank New Jersey, visit www.brianpasch.com.
Undici Restaurant - Undici Restaurant is located in Rumson New Jersey on River Road, serving Italian food.
Restaurant Nicholas - the best restaurant in New Jersey for five star gourmet dining. Reservations are recommended at Restaurant Nicholas in Red Bank NJ.
Monmouth County Dining - find great restaurants in Monmouth County New Jersey on www.brianpasch.com
Asbury Park Information - restaurants and retail shops in Asbury Park New Jersey.
Hall Winery California - visit the Hall Winery and experience great wines like the Diamond Mountain Cabernet.
Winery Scarecrow Cabernet - read the latest reviews including the 2005 Scarecrow Cabernet; a new California cult wine.
NJ Internet Marketing - the best agency for Internet marketing and search engine optimization in New Jersey.
Infiniti Car Dealer NJ - Circle Infiniti is New Jersey's best Infiniti car dealer, located in Monmouth County NJ.
2004 Dalla Valle Cabernet - read the latest wine review of the 2004 Dalla Valley Winery cabernet by Brian Pasch.
Sickles Wine and Cheese Classic - buy tickets for the 2008 Wine and Cheese Classic to benefit Holiday Express

Please wait while the page loads

BrianPasch.com

Site Menu

Brian Pasch Expert Wine Reviews

What's New

06-15-2008 - Restaurant Nicholas Our Top Pick
06-01-2008 - Mollydooker Wine Event - August 23rd
05-10-2008 - 2004 Dalla Valle Cabernet
05-05-2008 - 2005 Scarecrow Cabernet
05-05-2008 - 2004 Maiden Cabernet Review
04-25-2008 - 2005 Ghost Block Cabernet
04-19-2008 - 2005 Meander Cabernet
04-18-2008 - 2005 Maybach Materium
04-07-2008 - 2004 Sage Cabernet
04-05-2008 - 2005 Buccella Cabernet
02-20-2008 - 2004 Modus Operandi Cabernet
What's Old Not So New
Archives

Revisiting the 1996 Philip Togni and 1996 Lokoya Mt Veeder Cabernets

The 1996 vintage in California was overshadowed by the 1994 and 1997 vintages but many producers in 1996 made excellent Cabernet Sauvignons. Two greats example from this wonderful vintage are Philip Togni's 1996 Cabernet (www.philiptognivineyard.com) and the 1996 Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet (www.lokoya.com). Both wines are velvety smooth and flavorful but also have another 5-10 years of vibrancy in the bottle.

The wine from Philip Togni can often be confused in a blind tasting with a French first growth from Bordeaux. Lokoya's wine on the other hard are distinctly made in the traditional California style. The Togni Cabernet has a slight cut grass and earthy aroma whereas the Lokoya has the cherry hints that are found in many Napa Cabernets.

Both wines are beautiful examples of the progress that has been made in California to produce long-lived wines. These wines on their 10th Anniversary so no signs of aging and I would venture to say that in another 5 years they will have reach their peak of perfection. Both of these wines can be found on on-line auctions and if you are looking for mature California cabernets to add to your cellar, I would hunt out some well stored bottles to enjoy today and in the years to come.

Personal Scoring: I would give the Togni 96/100 points and the Lokoya 94/100 points. Robert Parker gave the 1996 Togni Cabernet 96 points. Robert Parker did not review the 1996 Lokoya. If you have these wines in your cellar I would recommend tasting a bottle soon and they will be more enjoyable with a good decanting and aeration.