Titus Vineyards

Introducing Titus Vineyards

Titus Vineyards is a 2^nd generation, family-owned estate led by two brothers, Eric and Phillip Titus, in the St. Helena appellation of Napa Valley. Eric is the General Manager and Vineyard Operations Manager who brings his experience as a researcher and environmental consultant to the viticulture, ensuring minimal impact, green practices, and expressive, focused fruit. Phillip, a UC Davis grad, is the Director of Winemaking and brought his Bordeaux-focused winemaking style, honed at top producers like Chappellet, to Titus Vineyard’s first release in 1990. Stephen Cruzan, Winemaker, is the latest addition (2015), and he fuses deep enological expertise with a devotion to unique character of Titus’ estate-grown, St. Helena fruit.

The main vineyard, Ranch Estate, was purchased by the first generation, Lee and Ruth Titus, in 1968, and then half a mile north a 10-acre Ehlers Lane was purchased and replanted in 1972. Ranch Estate has a viticultural history dating back 150 years and was first replanted in the mid 70’s with Bordeaux varietals and hearty Zinfandel’s better suited to the “dusty clay,” sandy and river loam soils of the valley floor. The Bordeaux varietals were replanted in the 80’s and early 90’s into 16 blocks, and the Titus family poised themselves to produce both classic Napa Cabernets and exceptional single varietal releases, including Zinfandel. The Ehlers Lane vineyard has dense volcanic soils and expresses more of mountainside attributes—even though it is on the valley floor—producing small berries in loose clusters that build the backbone of the Family Reserve Cabernet.

Titus Vineyard’s is a defining leader in Napa Valley winegrowing, which is partially due to possessing the long history of each vineyard plot, but also due to the forward-thinking implementation of low-intensity farming that proactively avoids the need to use chemicals or unnecessary fertilization. Eric and his partners prefer the use of cover crops, beneficial native species, and holistic soil health, and the vines are never pushed to develop excessive fruit loads, because the emphasis is full flavor development. In the cellar precision winemaking is complemented by a careful barrel and aging program and devotes an equal amount of energy in the meticulous blending of lots to capture the essence of the vintage itself. The legacy of the original producers that the first generation sold the fruit to carries on now that it is produced in-house, and is positioned to be passed on seamlessly to the third generation.