2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée Red Blend, Contra Costa County
Tasting Notes
Aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, and plum mingle with holiday spice notes like cinnamon, clove, and a hint of cocoa. On the palate, it reveals rich layers of ripe red fruit balanced by a smooth, velvety texture and a touch of oak. The wine’s elegant structure and lingering finish make it a memorable centerpiece for any holiday meal.
The 2023 Christmas Cuvée is crafted to capture the warmth and joy of the holiday season. This limited-edition red blend is both festive and complex, making it a delightful choice for holiday gatherings and cozy winter evenings.
Tim and Steph Busch have always had a passion for wine and the wine country, and in 2002 they realized their dream of starting a winery. Trinitas Cellars is a small winery in Napa Valley that is still owned and operated by the Busch family, including their children Garrett and Kenzie.
Trinitas celebrates the connection among sun, soil, and humanity by working closely with its grower society throughout the Napa Valley and other wine growing regions in Northern California. Furthermore, Trinitas sources a broad range of varietals from the regions where climate and soil conditions are most favorable. Small quantities of these exceptional grapes are then handcrafted into an approachable, California wine to be enjoyed as an aperitif or with food. Some of our best wines come from historical vineyards in Northern California with a selection of vines that are over a century old.
Available States
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, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée - $40 = 13.33%
Merry Christmas Casemateys! I was the joyful recipient of an unexpected gift: a sample bottle that found me in my ancestral home in northern Indiana. The Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvee 2023 has the elegant silhouette of the nativity tableau, ready for the season. Thick gold foil hides a long natural cork, it is a hefty bottle suggesting a serious wine. Minimal staining, with a faint magenta hue. On pop pour, the wine is an opaque burgundy with a magenta edge. Bright plum on the nose, hint of blueberry and a touch ‘wild’, slightly hot. Muted fruit on the palate, warming spice, earth, forest floor. Balanced tannin and bracing acidity suggests food friendliness. It is really young but has a maturity beyond its years.
We took a brief Christmas Eve sample last night. My wife noted Bright berries on the nose, a veritable berry medley. A little floral. Light oak, medium finish. Doesn’t overstay its welcome. No distinct flavors stand out, an easy drinking wine that would go well with food or on its own. My littlest brother, who doesn’t drink much wine, says it “tastes different than the last wine I had. Fruitier. I like it.”
I will have a number of guest rats throughout the day as we taste this wine with our Christmas celebration. Thanks to WCC and UPS for finding me on location and Trinitas Cellars for making a thoughtful wine appropriate for the season of reflection. I hope your celebration, however wild or mild, meets your expectations and you are filled with the joy of the season. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
@KitMarlot Good match with prime rib, big and well balanced. With time the tannins have become more prominent. Not harsh green tannins, they are warm and inviting and coat your tongue and give the wine a pleasant viscosity.
My brother’s girlfriend says her parents are very particular about their wine, and this tastes exactly like they wine they prefer. My second brother says it is balanced and smooth, tastes ‘large’ and ready to support your biggest meals. This might not make sense to all, but if you know you know.
Santa came a day early and in a brown truck, making no attempt to hide himself and while stowing his package beneath my tree, instead handing it directly to me as I tended the smoker filled with pork butt. Opening the parcel, I was greeted with the visage of a gold embossed nativity (with silver foil mountains and earth in the background) adorning a rather classy looking bottle of the Trinitas 2023 Christmas Cuvée. Matching the design, I found the bottle to have moderate heft and the capsule seemingly on the robust side. The bottle’s rear label offered no details on the wine—not its composition, methods, or anything other than it being a limited bottling of just 550 cases. I set the wine aside to acclimate for a few hours while I continued with the rest of my regularly scheduled program.
When the time finally came to give this wine a whirl, my suspicion of the foil’s soundness was confirmed as it took more than a little effort to reveal the supple cork—adorned with the Trinitas T—beneath. Extracting the cork, I noted only around 1mm of staining and a hue reminiscent of blushing apple red. There was no immediate bloom of aromas with the extraction, and a whiff of the now open bottle didn’t do much to pull back the curtain. Being moderately late, we poured two small glasses for Christmas Eve sampling.
The wine was free of particulates, moderately dark, and without brick tones. Sniff and swirl a few times—inhaling not too deeply lest I start a coughing fit thanks to this damnable cold—and the bouquet of flavors developed in my senses from sweet cherries (alone) to also include a juicier ripe plum contributor, and perhaps a hint of violet. Sipping now, the flavors started where the nose left off and built around more berries/cherries, and by the second or third dip into the cup I mentioned baking spices, a hint of oak, but also something I couldn’t pin down that I hope further reflection and tasting will reveal.
Because of the relatively late hour, we were sampling this wine by its lonesome, and it drank quite well in this arrangement. We plan to have a second go of it Christmas Day along with some food; it will be interesting to see how this sits alongside the smoked pork and sides, but I suspect that it’ll hold its own quite well. More details likely to come later in the day, but if I had to judge from here alone, I’d call this one a winner.
Now that I’ve seen the description of the wine here, I get why I couldn’t pin down the grapes. Thanks to WCC/Trinitas for the opportunity for the preview. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
The wine rested overnight on the counter with a stopper—and being a house-divided on ideal temperature we’ve settled (depending mostly on whim) that indoor air temperature is 67-70º—which I’ll note is about ten degrees greater than when tasting last night. Much of the nose is the same, but I do have to breath deeper to get the nuance, else wise I’m left with white cherry and that hint of lavender.
But the mouth feels oh so different! There’s now a deeper boldness to the fruits that I’d expect more with the makeup of the grapes and the previously-prominent cherry (oh, I figured it out just now: it was cola that I was detecting and unable to articulate last night) has yielded to exceptionally ripe plums, and a bit more of the oak that actually borders on tasting charred.
While I wasn’t expecting this to pair beautifully with the pre-planned pulled pork, I will say it did hold its own. While my better half chose buns more suited for grilled chicken, smoked turkey, or even cold cuts (golden honey), I fortunately am a simple man when it comes to my smoked meats and tend to enjoy them as they come out of the smoker: naked and delicious. The smokiness of the pork really played well with the sweeter flavors that had developed, and provided just enough astringency to not be overwhelmed.
And I failed to note previously the musings of aforementioned better half: she really enjoyed it without significant note, offered up an “I’d buy this at” price nearly double her normal rate, and then today agreed that the buns did it no favors, but that it was delicious on its own.
There’s still a bit left in the bottle, so we’ll see if there’s more notes to add either later tonight or tomorrow. In the mean time, blessings and cheers!
I’m confused. I tried to order this earlier but couldn’t. I don’t know if it was the site or my connection w/ my bro’s internet. Thought I’d wait 'til later and hopefully there’d be less traffic on the 'net in general. I tried around 10:50, but it said too late it’s over.
Am I out of luck with this? Or will I get another chance? It doesn’t say sold out, it says it’s too late.
Edit to say I removed the Weds reference 'cause I just realized it is indeed Thursday. Being off work this week really has my brain confuzzled as to what day I’m on.
Hi, I don’t suppose anyone who got this is a dealer who could let me buy a three-pack and ship to me, are you? Please?
Something was wonky with either the site or my bro’s internet and I couldn’t get it ordered. And I really wanted some–sounds right up my tastebuds’ alley.
@SylvreKat Once the sale has ended, other than connecting with another (somewhat local?) CaseMate to split with, there is no additional option to purchase, unless…
the winery will make an accommodation, and some have been known to when contacted directly.
2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée Red Blend, Contra Costa County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$510.00/Case for 12x 2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée Red Blend, Contra Costa County at Trinitas Cellars
About The Winery
Available States
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, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 13 - Tuesday, Jan 14
2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Rattage?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvée - $40 = 13.33%
Merry Christmas Casemateys! I was the joyful recipient of an unexpected gift: a sample bottle that found me in my ancestral home in northern Indiana. The Trinitas Cellars Christmas Cuvee 2023 has the elegant silhouette of the nativity tableau, ready for the season. Thick gold foil hides a long natural cork, it is a hefty bottle suggesting a serious wine. Minimal staining, with a faint magenta hue. On pop pour, the wine is an opaque burgundy with a magenta edge. Bright plum on the nose, hint of blueberry and a touch ‘wild’, slightly hot. Muted fruit on the palate, warming spice, earth, forest floor. Balanced tannin and bracing acidity suggests food friendliness. It is really young but has a maturity beyond its years.
We took a brief Christmas Eve sample last night. My wife noted Bright berries on the nose, a veritable berry medley. A little floral. Light oak, medium finish. Doesn’t overstay its welcome. No distinct flavors stand out, an easy drinking wine that would go well with food or on its own. My littlest brother, who doesn’t drink much wine, says it “tastes different than the last wine I had. Fruitier. I like it.”
I will have a number of guest rats throughout the day as we taste this wine with our Christmas celebration. Thanks to WCC and UPS for finding me on location and Trinitas Cellars for making a thoughtful wine appropriate for the season of reflection. I hope your celebration, however wild or mild, meets your expectations and you are filled with the joy of the season. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
@KitMarlot Good match with prime rib, big and well balanced. With time the tannins have become more prominent. Not harsh green tannins, they are warm and inviting and coat your tongue and give the wine a pleasant viscosity.
My brother’s girlfriend says her parents are very particular about their wine, and this tastes exactly like they wine they prefer. My second brother says it is balanced and smooth, tastes ‘large’ and ready to support your biggest meals. This might not make sense to all, but if you know you know.
Santa came a day early and in a brown truck, making no attempt to hide himself and while stowing his package beneath my tree, instead handing it directly to me as I tended the smoker filled with pork butt. Opening the parcel, I was greeted with the visage of a gold embossed nativity (with silver foil mountains and earth in the background) adorning a rather classy looking bottle of the Trinitas 2023 Christmas Cuvée. Matching the design, I found the bottle to have moderate heft and the capsule seemingly on the robust side. The bottle’s rear label offered no details on the wine—not its composition, methods, or anything other than it being a limited bottling of just 550 cases. I set the wine aside to acclimate for a few hours while I continued with the rest of my regularly scheduled program.
When the time finally came to give this wine a whirl, my suspicion of the foil’s soundness was confirmed as it took more than a little effort to reveal the supple cork—adorned with the Trinitas T—beneath. Extracting the cork, I noted only around 1mm of staining and a hue reminiscent of blushing apple red. There was no immediate bloom of aromas with the extraction, and a whiff of the now open bottle didn’t do much to pull back the curtain. Being moderately late, we poured two small glasses for Christmas Eve sampling.
The wine was free of particulates, moderately dark, and without brick tones. Sniff and swirl a few times—inhaling not too deeply lest I start a coughing fit thanks to this damnable cold—and the bouquet of flavors developed in my senses from sweet cherries (alone) to also include a juicier ripe plum contributor, and perhaps a hint of violet. Sipping now, the flavors started where the nose left off and built around more berries/cherries, and by the second or third dip into the cup I mentioned baking spices, a hint of oak, but also something I couldn’t pin down that I hope further reflection and tasting will reveal.
Because of the relatively late hour, we were sampling this wine by its lonesome, and it drank quite well in this arrangement. We plan to have a second go of it Christmas Day along with some food; it will be interesting to see how this sits alongside the smoked pork and sides, but I suspect that it’ll hold its own quite well. More details likely to come later in the day, but if I had to judge from here alone, I’d call this one a winner.
Now that I’ve seen the description of the wine here, I get why I couldn’t pin down the grapes. Thanks to WCC/Trinitas for the opportunity for the preview. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
The wine rested overnight on the counter with a stopper—and being a house-divided on ideal temperature we’ve settled (depending mostly on whim) that indoor air temperature is 67-70º—which I’ll note is about ten degrees greater than when tasting last night. Much of the nose is the same, but I do have to breath deeper to get the nuance, else wise I’m left with white cherry and that hint of lavender.
But the mouth feels oh so different! There’s now a deeper boldness to the fruits that I’d expect more with the makeup of the grapes and the previously-prominent cherry (oh, I figured it out just now: it was cola that I was detecting and unable to articulate last night) has yielded to exceptionally ripe plums, and a bit more of the oak that actually borders on tasting charred.
While I wasn’t expecting this to pair beautifully with the pre-planned pulled pork, I will say it did hold its own. While my better half chose buns more suited for grilled chicken, smoked turkey, or even cold cuts (golden honey), I fortunately am a simple man when it comes to my smoked meats and tend to enjoy them as they come out of the smoker: naked and delicious. The smokiness of the pork really played well with the sweeter flavors that had developed, and provided just enough astringency to not be overwhelmed.
And I failed to note previously the musings of aforementioned better half: she really enjoyed it without significant note, offered up an “I’d buy this at” price nearly double her normal rate, and then today agreed that the buns did it no favors, but that it was delicious on its own.
There’s still a bit left in the bottle, so we’ll see if there’s more notes to add either later tonight or tomorrow. In the mean time, blessings and cheers!
On the cusp of many life-changes, will be interesting to think back a year (or so) from now.
/giphy amazing-fortunate-snowflake
I’m confused. I tried to order this earlier but couldn’t. I don’t know if it was the site or my connection w/ my bro’s internet. Thought I’d wait 'til later and hopefully there’d be less traffic on the 'net in general. I tried around 10:50, but it said too late it’s over.
Am I out of luck with this? Or will I get another chance? It doesn’t say sold out, it says it’s too late.
Edit to say I removed the Weds reference 'cause I just realized it is indeed Thursday. Being off work this week really has my brain confuzzled as to what day I’m on.
Hi, I don’t suppose anyone who got this is a dealer who could let me buy a three-pack and ship to me, are you? Please?
Something was wonky with either the site or my bro’s internet and I couldn’t get it ordered. And I really wanted some–sounds right up my tastebuds’ alley.
Trying once more 'cause I really wanted some of these. Please please, any dealers willing to make a deal with me for a three-some? Please?
@SylvreKat
If not read in context, that phrasing might get you more than you bargained for.
@SylvreKat Once the sale has ended, other than connecting with another (somewhat local?) CaseMate to split with, there is no additional option to purchase, unless…
the winery will make an accommodation, and some have been known to when contacted directly.
@kawichris650 Oops.
That’s a three-some of the wine. Not a troi-some.
@rjquillin I was hoping another CaseMate would reply. I guess nobody else got the big box and will split with me.
But thanks for letting me know to contact the winery itself. Fingers crossed that they’ll give me this same deal!