14.8% ABV
Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Titus Vineyards is a family operation, founded by Lee and Ruth Titus on a 50-acre tract they called the Ranch Estate, which had been continually farmed for more than 150 years, then developed, expanded, and is now run by brothers Phillip and Eric Titus.
The Titus sons grew up in the family vineyards. Eric earned his doctorate in biology with a concentration in marine biology and toxicology before traveling the world as an environmental consultant and researcher. Eric returned to Napa Valley in 2002 and is now general manager and vineyard operations manager.
Phillip took an interest in viticulture from an early age and studied in the wine program at the University of California Davis. Upon graduation, he began his career at Quail Ridge Winery, Stratford, and Chappellet, where he was named winemaker in 1990. He continues in that position today, as well as working as winemaker for Titus.
While Lee and Ruth Titus had dreamed of turning their grapes into wine, the fruit they grew on their lots was instead sold off to other wineries. The parents encouraged their sons to put the family name on a bottle of their own.
Titus’s grapes come from two estates a mile apart in the St. Helena appellation of Napa Valley, the Ranch Estate and the Ehlers Lane Family Estate. The majority of Titus Vineyards’ wine starts on the vines at the Ranch, which also grows Tuscan varietal olives, bottled as extra virgin olive oil and sold by Titus Vineyards.
Phillip relies on lifelong exposure to the vineyards he has been working in since childhood to guide him in the creation of superior wine from individual blocks, to bring out the desired flavor profiles, textural balance, and complexity.
With his background in environmental sciences, Eric adopted farming practices that focus on sustainability and having a minimum impact on the environment. Nearly all vineyard work is done by hand.
In 2015, as they completed the Winery at Titus Vineyards, the brothers hired winemaker Stephen Cruzan to run their expanded operation. Cruzan had worked under Phillip at Chappellet.
Pairing by: Erik Calviño
Tasting Notes: Titus Cabernet Franc 2021
An intensely flavorful but balanced wine with a dark ruby color and a bouquet of dark fruits, floral, and oak with a touch of olive. It is big and rich and bursting with blueberry and cherry flavors joined by complex notes of tobacco, cocoa, and ever-present oak. The tannins offer a noticeable grip that “lets go” after a moment, a very interesting wine.
Cigar Pairing: Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario
The soft-pressed Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario offers a rich and creamy blend of cedar, smooth spice, and roasted nuts that welcome the injection of ripe fruit from the Titus Cabernet Franc. The two are evenly matched in intensity and body, allowing an enjoyable experience regardless of order, but we prefer to drink than smoke.
