Our 2021 Estate TRIO is a blend of five Bordeaux varietals we grow, including the “Big 3” - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. We created this blend to offer a wine that is approachable sooner, but which still has the great complexity and structure that Howell Mountain wines offer.
The 2021 TRIO opens with pleasant aromas of dried savory herbs and dusty cocoa powder, giving way to bright red fruits, along with anise, lavender, and tobacco. On first sip, a jolt of red cherries hits the front of your palate, with soft, juicy tannins filling the mouth, showcasing vanilla and cinnamon characteristics from the oak, while the dark chocolate-encased fruit brings mouthwatering acidity, enticing the taster to have another sip.
The palate also presents our trademark Howell Mountain & Bravante Vineyards rich plum, which we have learned over 20 years will often show up. This wine is always made in an “enjoy now” style, however it will cellar well for 5-7 years.
Specs
Varietals: 54% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot
AVA: Napa Valley
Viticulture: Estate Grown & Bottled
22 Months in Oak
Bottled: August, 2023
One Polish Filtration
Alcohol: 14.7%
Aging Potential: 5-8 years
Winemaker: Taylor Shoptaw
372 cases produced
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine, Napa Valley
Case:
12x 2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine, Napa Valley
The story of Bravante Vineyards is one of family, friendship and a love of the land. George & Nancy Bravante founded Bravante Vineyards in 1996, shortly after moving to Napa Valley to start a family. Since then, Bravante Vineyards has blossomed into one of the premier small-batch, family-owned wineries in all of Napa Valley. Nestled atop the world-famous Howell Mountain, our vineyard has a unique terroir that produces full-bodied yet balanced Bordeaux- style wines. Bravante Vineyards remains family-operated, and we craft each bottle with passion and precision that represents our love of family, friends, and our beautiful vineyards. Welcome to the Family!
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I sat on the plane coming back from Thailand feeling the apprehension of life that awaits me back in the states. It was the first time our family has traveled to another country and experienced an amazing culture that had already seemed so long ago. There were things I missed, loved, and could do without in contrast to another part of this world. Wherever we were, life was still gratifying, especially getting back home to the good ol’ email “wine is coming your way” the same week I turned 40 years of age. This opportunity to be a lab rat couldn’t have happened more conveniently, because I sure missed cooking up home meals greatly.
2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine Napa Valley
The first night. I was more than excited to make steaks since being back in the country. I prepared sous vide grilled rib eyes with roasted root vegetables and a classic risotto…my I missed cooking. I poured the wine noticing the deep purple with somewhat translucent edging. The initial waft was faint, consisting of red and dark fruits, alcohol, spices, and vanilla, It tasted as smelled, but mellow and smooth with a grip of oak. Even after an hour in a bottle decant, it felt muted and dare I say, almost flabby, but the oak and lack of bitterness helped pull through the dinner pairing. I’m not going to lie; the wine was shy and the first night was a bit underwhelming. I saved a little more than half the bottle for the second night in hopes it gave redemption with a meal that packed more acid.
The Second night. The Trio sings much louder than the previous night. I made proper homemade pizza dough from the first night and pizza sauce, not that commercial acid driven sauce from cheap tomatoes. With every bite from these crunchy chewy Za’s followed with a nod of approval from a well-balanced delicious red wine. On the nose, a bouquet full of red fruits, baking spices, and cocoa. The taste is dry and not overbearing candied cherries followed by subtle dark fruits, baking spices, vanilla, and that subtle cocoa profile. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is now present as the finish grips with a bit of oak. The flavor lingers and my mouth waters with every bite and sip I exchange with no bitterness detected from the 15.2% alcohol.
They say good things happen in threes; an inspirational travel experience, my birthday, and now this crazy good bottle of wine. Truth speaks. I’m very happy I saved majority of this bottle on the second night because it needed that oxygen to breathe. I would expect this wine to only get better after 3-5 years, count me in for 3 more bottles. The apprehension I felt coming back has been squashed now that I’m back into my element and the abundance of good wine available here in the states. Cheers and thanks again WCC for helping set this up.
hey Thanks for the review, and yes, I can say with certainty, having tasted every vintage of this wine since 2005 , that it definitely needs a decant when young. I had a '17 not long ago with a retailer in Florida, and it was gorgeous. The notes say “5-7” years but in my experience 10 is more like it, and really who does that any more?
@kawichris650 thank you. We stayed in Chiang Mai for 6 days and Krabi for 8 days. I wish I could have stayed in Chiang Mai a little longer. How about you?
@TechnoViking
Were you able to enjoy the mountains while in the north?
I sadly didn’t make my way to Chiang Mai, or Krabi for that matter. I spent time in Bangkok, Pattaya, Ubon Ratchathani, and also crossed the border into Laos to do the zip line over the Tad Fane Waterfall.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Napa Valley Red Wine - $40 = 7.99%
The Jeb D notes:
90 points. Based on 54% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 75% new French oak, the 2021 Red Blend TRIO offers lots of ripe blackcurrants, cherries, singed leather, chocolate, and leafy herbs. It’s medium-bodied, round, nicely textured, and concentrated, with ripe tannins and outstanding length. Drink this solid effort over the coming 7-8 years. Drink 2025-2033. Jeb Dunnuck 12/22/25
And the James S notes:
A smoky, peppery red that packs a good punch of full, rather silky tannins and nicely saturated black fruit with oak spices. Dark cherries, dried blueberries and a lingering finish. Drink now or hold. 9/25
The review mentioned “bottle decant”. Maybe a decanter would have helped. We pour it through a Venturi into a decanter for 3 hours before drinking. Glad second day was good.
@free2day33611 it absolutely would have. I prefer a bottle decant to keep a constant when I do my lab rat reports as sometimes there isn’t a decanter around. I recall writing down in my notes that “I wished I properly decanted it on the first night”.
If the winery stops by I’d like to know how much of the fruit comes from Howell mountain. The AVA is Napa Valley, so this could all be Valley floor fruit.
howdy. No, most of it actually is HM, and every year before this except for 2008 I believe was 100% Howell Mtn. We lost a lot of Merlot in the Glass Fire timeframe and when we pulled it out, we did not replant with Merlot. Some of the Merlot in this is from Napa, and a little of the PV and Malbec are from the Stagecoach VY. I don’t remember the exact mix but we were under the required 85% by some, not a lot.
@klezman just as an aside about that 2008 or maybe it was 2007 TRIO, which was “Napa”, not HM. We were doing custom crush that year at a not-to-be-named winery on Silverado Trail as our Cave was still under construction. I got a call about 8am from a frantic employee… Forklift hit our Merlot tank and 700 gallons of Howell Mtn Merlot went down the drain in about 2 min. flat. I remember it like it was yesterday. So, off to the printer I go to get new labels printed, and we bought Merlot from Raymond VY to replace it.
Two shipments showed up yesterday while I was gone and SWMBO was working from home…
Trio sounds so good, and the tariff for small orders is so minimal that I’ve just gotta!
Love the vintner participation tastebud.
Making a Sangria for grandson’s 3rd birthday tomorrow:
Homemade Limon/Orangecello
Coconut Rum
Cranberry/Orange Punch
A Magnum of sweet red Finger Lakes Wine.
Either 7-Up or Soda Water, depending…
Various fruits: Strawberries/apple/mandarin/limes
Whatever’s around the house.
Bravante Vineyards Trio Napa Valley Red Wine
90 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
93 Points, James Suckling
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $960/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Feb 12 - Monday, Feb 16
2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Napa Valley Red Wine
3 bottles for $124.99 $41.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $459.99 $38.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@ilCesare welcome back
Lab report coming shortly… finishing up day two with some Za’s. Having a little fun first.
Sorry, I had some technical difficulties getting this posted. Hopefully it’s all there. Cheers.
Anyone in SD want to go in on a few bottles? I’m thinking I ca take 1-6.
@aldinho101 South Dakota?
@rjquillin Sam Diego
@aldinho101 Since I live in South Dakota, I was wondering about that too.
@aldinho101
/giphy joyful-wondrous-tin
#blacktie
I sat on the plane coming back from Thailand feeling the apprehension of life that awaits me back in the states. It was the first time our family has traveled to another country and experienced an amazing culture that had already seemed so long ago. There were things I missed, loved, and could do without in contrast to another part of this world. Wherever we were, life was still gratifying, especially getting back home to the good ol’ email “wine is coming your way” the same week I turned 40 years of age. This opportunity to be a lab rat couldn’t have happened more conveniently, because I sure missed cooking up home meals greatly.
2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine Napa Valley
The first night. I was more than excited to make steaks since being back in the country. I prepared sous vide grilled rib eyes with roasted root vegetables and a classic risotto…my I missed cooking. I poured the wine noticing the deep purple with somewhat translucent edging. The initial waft was faint, consisting of red and dark fruits, alcohol, spices, and vanilla, It tasted as smelled, but mellow and smooth with a grip of oak. Even after an hour in a bottle decant, it felt muted and dare I say, almost flabby, but the oak and lack of bitterness helped pull through the dinner pairing. I’m not going to lie; the wine was shy and the first night was a bit underwhelming. I saved a little more than half the bottle for the second night in hopes it gave redemption with a meal that packed more acid.
The Second night. The Trio sings much louder than the previous night. I made proper homemade pizza dough from the first night and pizza sauce, not that commercial acid driven sauce from cheap tomatoes. With every bite from these crunchy chewy Za’s followed with a nod of approval from a well-balanced delicious red wine. On the nose, a bouquet full of red fruits, baking spices, and cocoa. The taste is dry and not overbearing candied cherries followed by subtle dark fruits, baking spices, vanilla, and that subtle cocoa profile. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is now present as the finish grips with a bit of oak. The flavor lingers and my mouth waters with every bite and sip I exchange with no bitterness detected from the 15.2% alcohol.
They say good things happen in threes; an inspirational travel experience, my birthday, and now this crazy good bottle of wine. Truth speaks. I’m very happy I saved majority of this bottle on the second night because it needed that oxygen to breathe. I would expect this wine to only get better after 3-5 years, count me in for 3 more bottles. The apprehension I felt coming back has been squashed now that I’m back into my element and the abundance of good wine available here in the states. Cheers and thanks again WCC for helping set this up.
@TechnoViking
Happy Birthday!
@TechnoViking Thanks for the review. Says to me that I will need to aggressively decant this since no bottle makes it to a second night at our house.
@TechnoViking
hey Thanks for the review, and yes, I can say with certainty, having tasted every vintage of this wine since 2005
, that it definitely needs a decant when young. I had a '17 not long ago with a retailer in Florida, and it was gorgeous. The notes say “5-7” years but in my experience 10 is more like it, and really who does that any more?
@TechnoViking Nice review. Your steak to vegetable ratio seems similar to mine
@TechnoViking Ohhh, to be 40 again… HB!
@karenhynes thank you and to you as well! I believe it was your birthday recently if I recall correctly?
/giphy trusting-courteous-ocean
@TechnoViking
Happy birthday and welcome back from Thailand! I was just there 4 months ago. Which areas did you visit?
@TechnoViking
Indeed!
I’m still holding at 29!
@kawichris650 thank you. We stayed in Chiang Mai for 6 days and Krabi for 8 days. I wish I could have stayed in Chiang Mai a little longer. How about you?
@TechnoViking
Were you able to enjoy the mountains while in the north?
I sadly didn’t make my way to Chiang Mai, or Krabi for that matter. I spent time in Bangkok, Pattaya, Ubon Ratchathani, and also crossed the border into Laos to do the zip line over the Tad Fane Waterfall.
(Apologies for the threadjack.)
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Napa Valley Red Wine - $40 = 7.99%
The Jeb D notes:
90 points. Based on 54% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 75% new French oak, the 2021 Red Blend TRIO offers lots of ripe blackcurrants, cherries, singed leather, chocolate, and leafy herbs. It’s medium-bodied, round, nicely textured, and concentrated, with ripe tannins and outstanding length. Drink this solid effort over the coming 7-8 years. Drink 2025-2033. Jeb Dunnuck 12/22/25
And the James S notes:
A smoky, peppery red that packs a good punch of full, rather silky tannins and nicely saturated black fruit with oak spices. Dark cherries, dried blueberries and a lingering finish. Drink now or hold. 9/25
fwiw
The review mentioned “bottle decant”. Maybe a decanter would have helped. We pour it through a Venturi into a decanter for 3 hours before drinking. Glad second day was good.
@free2day33611 it absolutely would have. I prefer a bottle decant to keep a constant when I do my lab rat reports as sometimes there isn’t a decanter around. I recall writing down in my notes that “I wished I properly decanted it on the first night”.
If the winery stops by I’d like to know how much of the fruit comes from Howell mountain. The AVA is Napa Valley, so this could all be Valley floor fruit.
@klezman
howdy. No, most of it actually is HM, and every year before this except for 2008 I believe was 100% Howell Mtn. We lost a lot of Merlot in the Glass Fire timeframe and when we pulled it out, we did not replant with Merlot. Some of the Merlot in this is from Napa, and a little of the PV and Malbec are from the Stagecoach VY. I don’t remember the exact mix but we were under the required 85% by some, not a lot.
@klezman just as an aside about that 2008 or maybe it was 2007 TRIO, which was “Napa”, not HM. We were doing custom crush that year at a not-to-be-named winery on Silverado Trail as our Cave was still under construction. I got a call about 8am from a frantic employee… Forklift hit our Merlot tank and 700 gallons of Howell Mtn Merlot went down the drain in about 2 min. flat. I remember it like it was yesterday. So, off to the printer I go to get new labels printed, and we bought Merlot from Raymond VY to replace it.
Two shipments showed up yesterday while I was gone and SWMBO was working from home…
Trio sounds so good, and the tariff for small orders is so minimal that I’ve just gotta!
Love the vintner participation tastebud.
Making a Sangria for grandson’s 3rd birthday tomorrow:
Homemade Limon/Orangecello
Coconut Rum
Cranberry/Orange Punch
A Magnum of sweet red Finger Lakes Wine.
Either 7-Up or Soda Water, depending…
Various fruits: Strawberries/apple/mandarin/limes
Whatever’s around the house.