Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Chapellet Mountain Cuvée Proprietor’s Blend 2023
Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A vibrant Bordeaux-style blend from Chapellet, a pioneering family-owned estate high on Pritchard Hill since 1967. Known for its rocky, elevated vineyards and bold mountain-grown fruit, Chapellet crafts this approachable yet terroir-rich blend for both immediate enjoyment and graceful aging.

Blend Composition
• 51% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 24% Merlot
• 10% Petit Verdot
• 8% Malbec
• 7% Cabernet Franc 

Aromas & Flavors
Effusively aromatic with dark cherries, blackberries, and plums, framed by spicy oak notes of clove, cardamom, cedar, plus touches of black pepper and savory herbs. The palate mirrors this with plush ripe berry layers, framed by fine-grained tannins, and finishes with lingering dark chocolate and anise.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with a luxuriously textured core. The fine-grained tannins wrap the fruit beautifully, balanced by inherent freshness—creating a long, silky, and satisfying finish.  

Winemaking Notes
Crafted under the guidance of Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus, the 2023 vintage benefitted from a cool growing season and carefully managed canopy work to preserve freshness and reduce yields. Fermented and aged to deliver immediate appeal without compromising structure. 

Food Pairing
A versatile pairing wine—ideal with grilled ribeye, slow-braised short ribs, or herbed lamb chops. It also complements rich pasta sauces and grilled mushrooms—luxurious yet approachable.

Verdict
Mountain Cuvée 2023 is a powerful yet elegant Napa blend, showcasing depth, freshness, and mountain intensity. It’s a beautifully balanced wine that offers a compelling mix of immediate pleasure and layered complexity. A benchmark for mountain-grown Bordeaux blends. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Sonoma-Loeb, a distinguished winery renowned for producing exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines sourced from Sonoma County's most esteemed vineyards. Phillip Titus is a celebrated Napa Valley winemaker for this Chard, who also serves as winemaker for both Chappellet Vineyards and his family's Titus Vineyards since 1990 in Napa Valley.

As aromatic as it can get, the tropical fruits, nectarine, honeysuckle, and crisp melon notes on the nose are very welcoming and persistent. The palate gets coated with lemon custard, a balanced acidity and a creaminess that bond together the rest of nuances from the primary flavors of tropical fruits, and lemon zest.

A mouthfeel snap, absolutely vibrant expression of Sonoma County Chard, superb contrast of stable acidity with integrated flavors of green apple and tropical fruits that delivers a crispy, mineral-driven long finish. Cheers! — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

An affordable jewel created by Titus Vineyards in Napa Valley, to showcase a Bordeaux-inspired red blend of 41% Cab Sauv, 22% Malbec, 12% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 9% Petite Sirah and 6% Petit Verdot, that work harmoniously and can entice both; connoisseurs and vino aficionados.
The V’22 Andronicus is well-structured and has a warm-felt welcoming encompassing a sort of Bordeaux-blended and the vivacity of the Napa County top medley. Attractive and distinctive color with a delightful aromas of ripe plum, dark cherry, punchy espresso and black teas. On the palate feels sophisticated, luscious, velvety and potent, yet mouthfeel is coating enough to swirl around multiple times before appreciating its concentrated finish. Some herbaceous and other Pyrazine nuances are noble and sensed at the very end as well. Cheers! — 6 months ago

Wade Wennik

8.9

High in sweetness but not too much. Very smooth. Good wine. — 4 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a splash of Viognier, pale lemon with aromas of ripe stone and tropical fruits with citrus and floral notes, nice phenolics. On the palate fresh fruit flavors of melon, pear and apple with grapefruit/lemon citrus wrapped in lively acidity, medium+ length ending with creamy citrus texture. Very Nice! — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

The V.2022 Titus Cab Franc, has great composition blend of 80% Cab Franc, 8% Merlot, 6% Cab Sauvignon, and 6% Malbec. This is beautiful wine that delivers tons of aromas sharp raspberry, pomegranate, unripe plum, and red flowers. Very savory on the tip of the tongue, and solid but not overpowering tannins, the medley of berries seats at the back-end of the palate.

Loved the elegancy and the generosity of dark chocolate along with some spices with barely any texture, simply smooth and crazy delicious! — 5 months ago

Chris Anton

9.2

One of the best Malbec’s from the US! You’ll love the experience. — a year ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Sonoma-Loeb “Dutton Ranch” Pinot Noir 2021
Sonoma Coast, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Crafted by Phillip Corallo-Titus, who has been the guiding hand at Sonoma-Loeb since 1990, this 100% Pinot Noir captures Burgundian elegance while showcasing Sonoma’s coastal vibrancy. The Dutton Ranch site is a prized cool-climate vineyard, where fog and breezes create the perfect conditions for balance and finesse.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe cherry, raspberry, and red currant lead the bouquet, layered with spice notes of anise, clove, and baking spice. A gentle touch of toasty oak and vanilla rounds out the fruit, adding warmth and texture without overwhelming.

Mouthfeel
Silky, polished, and seamless on the palate. Soft tannins and graceful structure allow the fruit to shine, striking an elegant balance between restraint and vibrancy.

Winemaking Notes
The 2021 vintage reflects Corallo-Titus’s vision: careful vineyard sourcing, traditional fermentation, and judicious oak use that enhances complexity without excess.

Food Pairing
Perfect alongside roast duck, mushroom risotto, cedar-plank salmon, or simply with a cheese board of triple-cream Brie and charcuterie.

Verdict
A thoughtful and layered Pinot Noir that proves Sonoma can deliver not just power, but grace and finesse. A bottle worth cellaring or savoring at the table—✨pure craftsmanship in a glass.
— 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

The V.2021 Titus Family Estate Reserve Cab. Sauv. is one their finest expression of their Ehlers Lane vineyard. Situated in the core of the St. Helena AVA, along the base of Howell Mountain AVA, with the Silverado Trail on its Eastern border and the Napa River to its West. This place has a very long and rich history in the fines wines that has produced Beaulieu, Charles Krug, and Cuvaison.

This terroir is fully expressed on this bottle with has a blend of 87% Cab Sauv., 9.5% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Malbec which offers an immense concentration of dark berries aromas with some hints of violet all the way. It has an extremely approachability on the palate with an incredible delicacy of ripen red fruits, yet the coffee espresso mouthfeel is beyond enticing, together with the chewing tannins blending with texture of the cacao beans and the long but not over lingering oak at the very end, it takes you to next level.

Incredibly, this wine is just climbing its prime time and will evolve even more in the next 10 years, but can it be enjoyable now like I did as well. Cheers to this caliber of wines! — 5 months ago

Chris Anton

8.9

Having a Zen moment! — a year ago