Titus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018

Phil Titus was already a beast in Napa Valley and pretty much everybody knew it. But the 100-point score for his 2016 Chappellet launched him to immediate international acclaim.

And while everyone needs a day job, Phil’s passion project was the one with his brother, Eric, producing knockout wines off the family property. The estate is in the heart of the St. Helena Appellation at the base of Howell Mountain. The vines flow seamlessly from the Silverado Trail to the Napa River, separated into 16 blocks.

This is quite literally, priceless real estate today. Phil’s parents bought ‘the ranch’ in 1968 and as one of Napa’s revolutionary pioneers, immediately ripped out the cash cow jug grapes that had been growing there for 50 years – Mondeuce, Burger, and Golden Chasselas. Their thought was given the mixture of dusty clay, sand, and river loam soils and the perfect weather – Bordeaux varieties could rival their French counterparts.

They were right and for years, the Napa elite gobbled up all their grapes for their wines. Only in the Phil and Eric decide to produce and bottle the wine under the family crest. The wines have been remarkable but none more so than the 2018 from Wine Spectator’s 99-point vintage.