The 2020 Les Titans Estate Syrah is packed with all the aromas that make lovers of cold climate Syrah seek high and low in a never-ending search for more. The nose smells like a juicy hangar steak with aromas of tarragon, iron, black olive, and blood intermingling with blue fruit. The wine is soft and round in the mid-palate and much more approachable on release than is typical for our Syrah due to a warmer 2020 vintage. There is still refreshing acidity and brightness on the finish but it is not as wound up. It tastes a little like an excellent Cornas in a cool year. Winemaker Description.
Jeb Dunnuck: 98 Points | The 2020 Syrah Les Titans is ripe and more brooding, with savory tones of olive, blackberry, plum, and ripe earth. Full-bodied and pure, it has a fantastic, gripping structure and is more grounded but weightless. Drink 2025-2040.
Robert Parker 93 Points | Medium ruby-purple color and gregarious aromas of cassis, menthol and bitter chocolate plus wafts of blueberry. The terroir of the West Sonoma Coast, and specifically our estate vineyard in Annapolis, imprints all of our wines in very precise ways. This is abundantly evident in our Syrahs which have a combination of red fruit aromas, high acidity, low alcohol, and meaty, savory notes that you will not find in Syrah from any other region, This singularity is why more people should grow Syrah out here. It is why we should grow more Syrah. But, there is a catch. It is very tricky to grow a variety that has a tendency to be affected by various diseases in a cold, wet place like the West Sonoma Coast. Those of you who have been drinking our Syrah for the past two decades are aware our production amounts vary from year to year and have been meagre at times. The wines are fantastic but we have had to change trellising, nutrient protocols, pruning methods—just about everything—to get the plants to yield a decent-sized crop and to be healthy. Starting this winter, we plan to rip up a few underperforming blocks (not just low yielding but also the least exciting tasting blocks) and will start anew with Syrah cuttings from the blocks that are healthy and make wines we like.