Cristaldi Scores

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Black olive, black plums, clay, graphite, and fresh wild herbs (including fennel and mint) all mark the nose on this delicious Merlot. This is really in a great drinking window right now, with the palate wonderfully balancing rich, plummy fruit, baking spice nuances, dusty bramble notes, and buoyant acidity. As the long finish fades, a pleasant astringency of blood orange peel joins with cedar and red plum. A really fine, balanced effort here, this is a Merlot that only Tuscany could make. Sourced from the Santa Maria parcel within the Petriolo area, this wine reflects a site that transitions from the lighter, Lamole-influenced soils at higher elevations to more clay-rich compositions lower down the slope. The vineyard itself is approaching three decades of age. Maturation takes place in French oak barriques over an extended period of roughly 18 to 24 months.

Climate warming is making this variety more difficult to produce on the estate, and production is reducing in favor of utilizing the best fruit. Wood, tobacco smoke, grilled orange peel, and quite darkly concentrated black plums on the nose, along with singed wild herbs. The nose might suggest dark flavors ahead, but the palate has its own ideas in mind, and it’s full of bright, chewy, and energetic red plum flavors, augmented with cherry and intense blood orange acidity. The finish is the only thing betraying any age, with slightly stewed red plum action combining with cedar and savory black olive. A surprising and truly elegant Tuscan red. Santa Maria Merlot is drawn from a dedicated parcel within the Petriolo zone, an area shaped like a shallow basin where soils shift from lighter, Lamole-like compositions at higher points to more clay-heavy sections downslope. The Santa Maria vineyard itself is nearing thirty years of age. Aging is carried out in French oak barriques for approximately 18 to 24 months.

They don’t really consider these Bordeaux varieties as “foreign” at this point, given how long they’ve been established in the area. Blackcurrant, black cherry, and red plum waft from the glass, along with oak notes and plenty of fresh and dried, dusty herbal spice notes. The concentration is evident immediately in the mouth, with plenty of those dark red fruit flavors on a texturally complex presentation: the palate moves from plush and polished to structured and chewy, with the cherry skin tannins vying for attention against the orange zest acidity. Orange peel, dried herbs, and redcurrant spiral on the long finish. Despite having some age, this one is built for a longer haul and is still coming together; in a few more years, it’s going to be a knockout. The fruit comes from the Solatìo vineyard, where older vines—some dating back to the 1960s and rediscovered in the 1990s, now exceed forty years of age. The site is defined by lean, rocky soils with a strong clay component, conditions that tend to limit vigor and concentrate the fruit. The wine is aged in French oak barriques for roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

Leafing is performed that they credit with significantly reducing the pyrazine notes that Cabernet Franc can often carry, and whatever they are doing in this regard seems to be working. Oak, cedar, ripe black plums and blackcurrant, dried herbs, dried orange peel, and hints of saline all appear on the balanced and elegant (but as yet still quite young and reserved) nose. The palate also feels young, with good structure acting as scaffolding underneath the bright red plum and juicy black cherry fruit flavors in the mouth. It might be exuberant and excited in its youthful state, but make no mistake, there is power behind this red, and an incredibly long finish that hints at a great future ahead (think well-integrated toasty oak, blood orange, plenty of dried herbs, and even more chewy red fruits). The fruit is sourced from the Solatìo vineyard, where mature vines—many originally planted in the 1960s and identified again in the 1990s—now exceed forty years of age. The site is marked by sparse, rocky soils with a strong clay presence, conditions that naturally curb vigor and tend to yield more concentrated fruit. Aging takes place in French oak barriques over a period of roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

With abundant notes of apricot, peach, yellow apples, lemon blossom, and hay, it’s the Chardonnay that dominates the nose in this blend. Its palate is rich with broad peach and ripe citrus flavors, complemented by hints of piquant minerality on a medium+ finish. – J.R.
Sourced from a single vineyard with extrmely thin, slate subsoils, this Cab Franc sees 11 months aging in large format oak and 6 months in concrete. Tons of herbal spice notes kick it off, with citrus peel, lavender, and a fantastic purity of dark plummy fruit. The palate is gorgeous—spice, tension, dusty but elegant tannins, black fruit depth, and blood orange acidity. Irresistibly pretty, mineral, energetic, rich, and delicious. – J.R.

Dried herbs, rose petal, and savory black olive notes offer support to a nose of black plums, red currants, and wild raspberries. Sultry on entry, the mouthfeel then becomes grippy and at turns energetic and then powerful in this exceptional young red that is just finding its footing. It’s very young, very finely textured, very elegant, and very, very good! – J.R.

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Black olive, black plums, clay, graphite, and fresh wild herbs (including fennel and mint) all mark the nose on this delicious Merlot. This is really in a great drinking window right now, with the palate wonderfully balancing rich, plummy fruit, baking spice nuances, dusty bramble notes, and buoyant acidity. As the long finish fades, a pleasant astringency of blood orange peel joins with cedar and red plum. A really fine, balanced effort here, this is a Merlot that only Tuscany could make. Sourced from the Santa Maria parcel within the Petriolo area, this wine reflects a site that transitions from the lighter, Lamole-influenced soils at higher elevations to more clay-rich compositions lower down the slope. The vineyard itself is approaching three decades of age. Maturation takes place in French oak barriques over an extended period of roughly 18 to 24 months.

Climate warming is making this variety more difficult to produce on the estate, and production is reducing in favor of utilizing the best fruit. Wood, tobacco smoke, grilled orange peel, and quite darkly concentrated black plums on the nose, along with singed wild herbs. The nose might suggest dark flavors ahead, but the palate has its own ideas in mind, and it’s full of bright, chewy, and energetic red plum flavors, augmented with cherry and intense blood orange acidity. The finish is the only thing betraying any age, with slightly stewed red plum action combining with cedar and savory black olive. A surprising and truly elegant Tuscan red. Santa Maria Merlot is drawn from a dedicated parcel within the Petriolo zone, an area shaped like a shallow basin where soils shift from lighter, Lamole-like compositions at higher points to more clay-heavy sections downslope. The Santa Maria vineyard itself is nearing thirty years of age. Aging is carried out in French oak barriques for approximately 18 to 24 months.

They don’t really consider these Bordeaux varieties as “foreign” at this point, given how long they’ve been established in the area. Blackcurrant, black cherry, and red plum waft from the glass, along with oak notes and plenty of fresh and dried, dusty herbal spice notes. The concentration is evident immediately in the mouth, with plenty of those dark red fruit flavors on a texturally complex presentation: the palate moves from plush and polished to structured and chewy, with the cherry skin tannins vying for attention against the orange zest acidity. Orange peel, dried herbs, and redcurrant spiral on the long finish. Despite having some age, this one is built for a longer haul and is still coming together; in a few more years, it’s going to be a knockout. The fruit comes from the Solatìo vineyard, where older vines—some dating back to the 1960s and rediscovered in the 1990s, now exceed forty years of age. The site is defined by lean, rocky soils with a strong clay component, conditions that tend to limit vigor and concentrate the fruit. The wine is aged in French oak barriques for roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

Leafing is performed that they credit with significantly reducing the pyrazine notes that Cabernet Franc can often carry, and whatever they are doing in this regard seems to be working. Oak, cedar, ripe black plums and blackcurrant, dried herbs, dried orange peel, and hints of saline all appear on the balanced and elegant (but as yet still quite young and reserved) nose. The palate also feels young, with good structure acting as scaffolding underneath the bright red plum and juicy black cherry fruit flavors in the mouth. It might be exuberant and excited in its youthful state, but make no mistake, there is power behind this red, and an incredibly long finish that hints at a great future ahead (think well-integrated toasty oak, blood orange, plenty of dried herbs, and even more chewy red fruits). The fruit is sourced from the Solatìo vineyard, where mature vines—many originally planted in the 1960s and identified again in the 1990s—now exceed forty years of age. The site is marked by sparse, rocky soils with a strong clay presence, conditions that naturally curb vigor and tend to yield more concentrated fruit. Aging takes place in French oak barriques over a period of roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

With abundant notes of apricot, peach, yellow apples, lemon blossom, and hay, it’s the Chardonnay that dominates the nose in this blend. Its palate is rich with broad peach and ripe citrus flavors, complemented by hints of piquant minerality on a medium+ finish. – J.R.
Sourced from a single vineyard with extrmely thin, slate subsoils, this Cab Franc sees 11 months aging in large format oak and 6 months in concrete. Tons of herbal spice notes kick it off, with citrus peel, lavender, and a fantastic purity of dark plummy fruit. The palate is gorgeous—spice, tension, dusty but elegant tannins, black fruit depth, and blood orange acidity. Irresistibly pretty, mineral, energetic, rich, and delicious. – J.R.

Dried herbs, rose petal, and savory black olive notes offer support to a nose of black plums, red currants, and wild raspberries. Sultry on entry, the mouthfeel then becomes grippy and at turns energetic and then powerful in this exceptional young red that is just finding its footing. It’s very young, very finely textured, very elegant, and very, very good! – J.R.

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Type

Rating

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