Titus Vineyards
St. Helena, CA
We had a GREAT day of tasting in the Napa Valley this
past weekend. We visited a couple of wineries that were new to us and a couple
of other favorites. The tastings at the ‘new
to us wineries’ were two of the best tasting experiences we ever have had. Our tasting partner, Walter, gave them both
10.5 on a scale of 10. This week and
next week we’ll discuss our new discoveries and then one of our other stops in
a couple of weeks.
Titus was a winery that I was not (too) familiar
with. A few years ago I was a regular Friday
night taster at the now closed JV Wine and Spirits in Napa. JV, being close to the wine country, had a
weekly tasting that brought in a local winery and it was usually the winemaker or winery principal
pouring. Titus was pouring one
Friday. I had also kept an article I
read a couple of years ago which highlighted good but not flashy wine tasting
suggestions and Titus was on the list.
When doing my planning for the weekend I came across the article and
shot Titus an email about coming in for a tasting. Titus is not normally open on Saturday but
Danielle responded and said she could come in but just between 10 and 11
Saturday morning. This worked for us.
Titus is just north of Deer Park Road on the Silverado Trail (8 telephone poles from the corner were the directions we were given). Many of us have probably driven by it lots of times and never noticed it. The Titus Family starting assembling the vineyard in 1968 and after acquiring the two adjoining properties they now have a single 40 vineyard along the Napa River. The Family also has a 10 acre property on Ehlers Lane which is the source of their Napa Valley RESERVE Cabernet. The winery is now operated by the brother team of Phillip (Winemaker and former winemaker at Chappellet) and Eric (Vineyard and Business Manager). It was more than 20 years before Titus crushed fruit for their own production as their fruit initially went to other wineries including Charles Krug, BV and Pine Ridge. Today the vineyards are comprised mostly of Cabernet and Zinfandel but also contain Cab Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah as well as Sauvignon Blanc. Blending is a big part of the Titus winemaking philosophy.
We arrived timely Saturday morning and searched a bit to
figure out where the tasting was to take place.
There is a house and barn on the property and that is about it. After first searching the barn we found an
arrow pointing towards the front of the house. In the house there is a small
tasting area off the kitchen, which might be used on a rainy day, but we went
right back outside to taste at a picnic table right next to the vineyard. We already felt we were off to a good start
here. Danielle, who I had emailed two
days earlier, was our hostess and Eric Titus, dressed as if he was ready to go
to work in the vineyard (and he was), started the tasting with us.
As is always a
great way to get your taste buds working, we started with the Sauvignon Blanc and
it was excellent.
 |
| Titus (good weather) Tasting Room |
Titus is about red wines though and every one we tasted
was excellent. We knew this because when
we were ready to make a couple of purchases we had a hard time deciding. Our first red was the 2011 Zinfandel. This was made with the grapes from the
vineyard just 50 feet to our left which was planted in 1977 and 1978 and at
$30.00 is a great price. We then had the
Cabernet Franc and then the Cabernet. The
first Cabernet, the Napa Valley Cab, was from the vines right on this property
and the second was the Reserve from the Ehlers Lane property just north of the
main ranch. Both wines were 2009 vintage
and were aged for 22 months. The Napa
Valley Cab was blended with Petite Verdot and Malbec and the Reserve was a
blend with the Petite Verdot, Malbec as well as Merlot and a bit of Cab
Franc. At $65.00 the Reserve is priced
$10-$20 (or more) less that others in the Valley. We finished with the Petite Sirah which was
dark and yummy yet restrained. Again,
not a bad taste in the bunch. Danielle, who
is expecting her first child in April, is someone who has been around the
valley working in the wine and hospitality business for some time and was a
source of interesting stuff. And she
knows her wine also. Our conversations
ranged from the soil on the property, to her work experience at Auberge du
Soleil, to Eric and Phillip’s Mom and so on.
It was one of those kind of small town experiences sitting in a
beautiful vineyard tasting some of the best wines you will find anywhere that
you do not get every day. The Titus group,
from what we saw, are really down to earth people.
What we liked- Everything- the conversation, the tasting
room (picnic table) and especially the wine.
What we bought- Like I said it was a tough decision but I
know we bought a bottle of the Reserve Cab and one other (I was putting the
wine away in the dark and could not read the labels clearly).
Vitals-
Titus Vineyards
2971 Silverado Trail N
St. Helena, CA
94574
(707) 963-3235
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