2018 Titus Andronicus Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

Every year, we try to get more of this Napa bombshell, and every year, it’s still not enough.

Rich, powerful, and extravagantly concentrated, the Titus Andronicus Proprietary Red is one of our all-time most popular Napa red blends. Prisoner-like in its voluptuousness, crafted by the legendary 100-point winemaker Phil Titus, this is a sell-out we can practically set our watch by.

Today we’re offering the brand new release of the 2018—displaying all the nuance and precision of the vintage—at just $29 a bottle. Fruit-forward and mouth-filling, packed with dark fruit and structured with velvety tannins which is exactly how our savviest members stock it in their cellars.

Phil and his brother Eric are two of the most gracious and talented guys you’ll meet in the Valley (and we’re not just saying that because they always put aside a few cases of this beauty for us at a discounted price). Phil’s the guy who’s engineered a critically acclaimed three-decade run of 97+ point scores at Chappellet, the world-class estate on Pritchard Hill.

Eric, a former president of the Napa Valley Grape Growers Association, is an intuitive and brilliant vineyard manager who holds a doctorate in biology. Together with their father, Lee, who bought the estate vineyard, they’ve formed a family legacy that’s helped shape the St. Helena AVA into the standard-bearer it is today.

Over the years, we’ve developed a knack for picking Phil’s wines out of a lineup. He’s one of the region’s most ardent torchbearers for trimming yields to spike concentration from start to finish. At the same time, he’s equally conscious of softening the often powerful edges of Napa Valley tannins.

For the 2018 blend, the brothers worked with winemaker Stephan Cruzan—a veteran of Cade, Chappellet, and Hall—to perfectly balance five classic Bordeaux grape varieties from across appellations. Estate fruit lends power and backbone to deeply fragrant Carneros Hills Merlot, cashmere-soft Calistoga Malbec, and densely fruited Petit Verdot from the eastern foothills.

We had to give this stunning under-$30 Bordeaux blend its own folder to organize all the 4- and 5-star reviews. Here’s a few of the most recent: “Smoky, earthy with dark chocolate and caramel undertones. Loved it and ordered more. Great value for flavor,” wrote in one Wine Access member. "One of my all-time faves!" said another. And: “Really a great addition to the cellar for generous sharing. Love the power.”

Finished with 22 months of barrel aging, this is the Napa red you have in the back of your mind when you want to pour something that’s all about lusciousness and immediate drinkability. The price might as well have been dreamed up too.