2021 Bismark Titan 750ml

2021 HANNA Bismark Moon Mountain District Titan - 94 Points, James Suckling

"Richly layered, saturated with flavor, velvety in texture and full-bodied. A mouth-filing, ripe and deep red blend with flavors of black cherries, blueberries, dark chocolate and spearmint. Offers good balance, potential for aging and lots of pleasure now. Drink or hold." - Jim Gordon, Executive Editor James Suckling

Vineyard Source: Our Bismark Mountain Ranch is high above the city of Sonoma and San Pablo Bay. Here on the southwestern flanks of the Mayacamas Mountains plantings include Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon amid outcroppings of Rhyolite.  We began planting in 1991 and continue to fine tune our mix of cultivars to this day.  This is steep ground; shared with Creosote bush, Grey pine, coyote and mountain lion. Topographically it is like the Douro. Windy, sun drenched yet moderate in temperature, Bismark grudgingly produces grapes with an intense, deeply concentrated flavor. Bismark’s unique terroir is both fierce and alluring.

Vintage 2021: Winter 2021 was extremely dry and warm, resulting in an extended bud break and bloom. Crop levels were low in 2021 from a combination of weak spring growth, small clusters, and blustery days. Summer was consistently warm and verasion was early. We had moderate heat events through mid- September but nothing damaging. We harvested the grapes for our 2021 Titan between September 9th and October 5th, finishing shortly before a massive bomb cyclone (streaming water from three sub-tropical cyclones) dumped over 15 inches of rain on the vineyard.

Winemaking: The clusters were sorted, destemmed, and partially crushed to stainless steel fermentation tanks. Pressing was done to taste, based on frequent tastings of the wines during pumpovers. The newly pressed wines were racked to tank and allowed to settle before barreling. The initial blend was assembled in Winter 2022 and finalized in April 2024. The wine was barrel aged for 32 months in 67% new French oak.

Tasting Notes: The 2021 Titan is a polished Almandine garnet color, with aromas of red currant, anise, vanilla, and classic Bismark notes of olive, thyme and bay. By mouth the Titan typifies the dry vintage on the mountain; showing both intensity and restraint. The entry is plump with cherries, evolving into flavors and textures of espresso, goji berry, and spicy oak. (Tasted 6/20/2025)

 

Variety: 

31% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 16% Malbec

Vineyard Location:

Hanna’s Bismark Mountain Vineyard Blocks 24, 6, 16, 26, 23, 10

Age of Vines

19-27 years

Harvest Dates:

September 9 to October 5, 2021

 

Alcohol 15.0%

pH 3.91

Titratable Acidity (TA) 0.52 g/100 mL

Residual Sugar 0.2%

 

Fermentation:

Inoculated with selected yeasts. 5-10 days skin contact.

Length/Type of Aging:

32 months in 60-gal oak barrels.

Oak Types:

67% new barrels from Colbert, Bossuet, Treuil, Maury, and Nadalie

 

Bottling Date July 2, 2024

Number of Cases 141