USA – Page 54 – Cristaldi & Co

NV

Kerrville Hills

White Wine

This non-vintage white shows impressive character and texture, with a grippy mid-palate and a long, nutty richness that carries through the medium-bodied finish. The palate offers generous fruit weight, featuring layers of apricot and white peach alongside toasted almonds and buttered croissant. There’s real depth and intensity here, complemented by notes of wild herbs and dried honeycomb on the nose.

White

NV

Knapp Winery

Brut

Sourced from Knapp Vineyards, this sparkling wine underwent primary fermentation in stainless steel, followed by bottle fermentation and 12 months on the lees before disgorging. A modest 1.5% residual sugar dosage rounds out the palate. Simple and enjoyable, it offers crisp green apple, green Jolly Rancher candy, and steely minerality, all wrapped in a vinous-like character. A supple, creamy mousse gives way to a bone-dry finish marked by mineral tension.

White

NV

Mazza Wines

The Perfect Bubbly

Sourced from several vineyards within the Lake Erie AVA, this blend of hybrid varieties saw cool stainless steel fermentation to help preserve vibrant aromatics and acidity. Expressive notes of apple and pear lead the way, joined by white flowers and honeysuckle. A rich, creamy, and frothy mousse lifts the palate, resolving with a subtly sweet finish.

White

NV

Piper Sonoma

Brut

Vivacious, with lively and lovely green apple aromas and flavors, and impressive length for the asking price. With Méthode Traditionnelle production and 7% aged reserve added, this sparkler is an easy and affordable way to upscale your weekday sipping. – J.R.

Rosé

NV

Sparkling Pointe

Brut Nature

Disgorged on 10.16.24 after more than three years aging sur lie, this is a multi-vintage Brut Nature made from 51% 2020 and 49% 2019 fruit. And let me say—it’s absolutely my kind of wine. Gorgeously rich, with spectacular nutty complexity and an ultra-fine, creamy mousse. Winemaker Andrew Rockwell explains that the oak aging adds just a bit of grip, which helps frame the wine’s generous mid-palate and lingering, toasty finish. It’s stunning—elegant yet powerful, and just plain gorgeous.

White

NV

Usonia

West! West!! West!!!

50% Chancellor (Plane’s Block, west side Cayuga Lake), 30% Verdelet (Arrowhead Vineyard, west side Seneca Lake), and 20% Cayuga White (Plane’s Block), all hand-harvested in 2023 and vinified separately. In 2024, fermenting non-vinifera Diamond—a native variety—was added to the still wine before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Hand-disgorged over the winter, this sparkling wine is wild, rustic, and utterly compelling. It channels tar and roses with deep loamy earth—like a red from Chinon—before unfurling with intensely tarry minerality, frizzante energy, and a creamy, assertive mousse. Red berry fruit mingles with savory notes of star anise, black olive, and crushed walnuts drizzled with paprika-laced honey.

White

NV

Whitecliff

Awosting White

A blend of Seyval Blanc and Vignoles, this semi-dry white is named after Lake Awosting in the Shawangunk Mountains. Medium-bodied, with floral lift and ripe orchard fruit, it shows a touch of sweetness balanced by incredibly bright, saline-laced acidity. The finish is marked by a wet stone minerality.

White

NV

Whitecliff

North River Methode Champenoise Rose

Traditional method rosé. This is a vividly red-fruited sparkling wine with a bright, frothy mousse and crunchy red berry, plum, and white cherry notes. A subtle salinity and touch of baking spice carry through the lengthy finish. Composed mostly of free-run juice, the wine spends up to two years en tirage, with a dosage of approximately 4.5 g/L.

Rosé

N/A

Whitecliff

North River Petillant (Traminette)

From Whitecliff Vineyard’s home estate-grown Traminette, this is pressed into stainless steel and fermented with native yeasts, then is allowed to ferment slowly until it hits the numbers winemaker Brad Martz is targeting—leaving enough residual sugar to complete fermentation in bottle. Disgorged to remove heavy lees, then recapped. It opens with bright apple and lifted baking spice, followed by a super frothy, assertive mousse that resolves through layers of white rose, orange oil, lychee, and a touch of grapefruit zest. Clean, zippy, and zingy.

White

N/A

Whitecliff

North River Petillant (Vidal Blanc)

Sourced from estate-grown Vidal Blanc from the Whitecliff Vineyard home estate. Pressed into stainless steel and fermented with native yeasts, the wine is allowed to ferment as long as needed to reach the numbers winemaker Brad Martz targets—leaving enough residual sugar to complete fermentation in bottle. It’s then disgorged to remove the heavy lees and recapped. The result is a clean, bright pét-nat with notes of chamomile, yellow apple, and white flowers. The mousse is rich, creamy, and finely textured, leading to a bone-dry, acid-driven finish. Easy-drinking and elegant—really lovely.

White

2024

Slouch Hat Wines

As You Were Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Entirely barrel-fermented in large-format neutral oak, with partial malolactic fermentation to round out the acid bite. The result is a full-bodied, silky, satiny, and downright seductive white. All that palate texture comes from the oak aging, yet there’s no overt oak character. The wine remains bright, zippy, and zesty, layered with floral and citrus notes, creamy orchard fruit, and a long, saline-mineral, crushed-almond finish. Grab as much as you can.

White

N/A

Texas Heritage Vineyard

Non-Vintage (NV) Stella Solitaria

“Stella Solitaria,” meaning “Lone Star” in Italian, is a blend of 45% Montepulciano and 45% Aglianico (both sourced from Wildseed Farms Vineyard in the Hill Country AVA near Fredericksburg), and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (from Family Vineyard near Brownfield in Terry County). Fermented in open-top small-lot bins, the wine is pressed to tank, cold-settled, and then aged for up to 48 months in mostly neutral oak. The result is an elegant, vibrant red wine with crunchy red fruit flavors, powerful tannins, and notes of mocha. Blood orange acidity and a rich vein of chalky minerality on the finish add balance and complexity to this bright, spicy, and zippy red blend.

Red

2023

Uplift Vineyard

Estate Red III

(Barrel Sample) Incredibly polished with power, energy, and tension, this blend of 70% Monteuplicano, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Sangiovese offers gorgeously pure red fruits laced with vanilla and tobacco spice notes. Medium-bodied with polished tannins that are already poised for foundational success, it shows great promise. This is going to be a killer wine when it’s finally released, and I can’t wait to re-taste it. There’s been a dynamic shift—a watershed moment—in the production of these wines since Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger began consulting with Uplift Vineyard in 2022. The transformation is evident, and this wine is a testament to that evolution, promising an exciting future for these wines.

Red

2024

Wines by Alisa Jacobson

Bait + Switch by AJ, Non Alcoholic Wine, Made with Organic Grapes, Sauvignon Blanc

Organically farmed Sauvignon Blanc, harvested early to retain acidity, then cool-fermented in barrel with an aromatic yeast strain. Lees stirring contributes added texture, while a small portion aged in new oak lends a subtle toasty edge. Alcohol is gently removed via vacuum distillation before the wine sees a short élevage in neutral oak. Golden in hue with flecks of emerald flashing at the rim. Opens with vivid aromas of lime blossom, gooseberry, and fresh-cut citrus, followed by hints of guava and green melon. The palate is mouthwatering and bright, layered with lemon-lime and white grapefruit — reminiscent of childhood sodas like Sprite or 7UP, but without the sweetness or carbonation. There’s a subtle textural roundness at the core and a whisper of toast and wet stone on the finish. Surprisingly complex for a non-alcoholic wine, with a nostalgic wink and an adult sense of restraint.

White

Vintage

Wine

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Color

Rating

$

2023

Producer

Name

Meanwhile, the Riverbed Estate wine — also in Carneros, near the Farmhouse Estate — boasts a similar wet-slate freshness, mineral drive, and red-berry lift, only here the textures are more supple, the generosity greater, and the tannins noticeably gentler. The dried-herb nuances give way to forest-floor and pine-forest tones, creating a quieter, earthier complexity. The finish caresses the mid-palate with a softer core, yet still carries a bright, spicy snap that keeps the wine lively and engaging.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Fresh and zesty, with a touch of grape-skin tannin and an intriguing, heady mix of white Rainier cherry, apricot and white peach, accented by subtle almond undertones. There’s also a gentle pop of tarragon or wild fennel and a super-salty core of crunchy orchard fruit and dried white-floral notes. Exotic, enticing and genuinely fun to drink. I’d pair this with a selection of farmers’ market hard cheeses and charcuterie.

White

2023

Producer

Name

From the Zio Tony Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. A combination of the Elite Clone selection and Clone 667 planted on Goldridge soils, which impart naturally low pH and help the wines retain their freshness. Anne Moller-Racke believes the Elite Clone, in particular, holds its natural acidity beautifully — and this wine proves the point. This is an acid-driven Pinot Noir with a sea-spray minerality on the nose, ripe red berry fruit, warm baking spices, and a touch of strawberry compote mingling with elegant cedarwood spice. Very dry, focused, and precise — not the typical lush RRV style, but a more linear, tension-filled expression.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

This stainless steel–fermented Alvarinho is zippy, zingy, and zesty—fueled by lime citrus and lemon zest, with smoky mineral notes, crushed white sea salt, and a super focused, driven palate. Ideal with salads or paired with hearty, hard cheeses that have a grassy rind.

White

2023

Producer

Name

A full-bodied Cabernet Franc blend (87% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot) sourced from sustainably certified vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes AVA, this opens with vivid red berry fruit layered with vanilla and cedarwood. But it’s the structure that takes center stage—soaring, firm tannins that initially grip the palate before gradually yielding to more delicate notes of dusty rose, earth, and spice. A wine with impressive mouthfeel and power, it clearly needs time in bottle to unwind and show its full potential. Aged for 10 months in natural French oak before bottling.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

The Riesling Bubbly Dry #356 2023 from Boundary Breaks in the Finger Lakes AVA is a bright, focused sparkler made from sustainably certified, estate-grown Riesling clone #356. Fermented in stainless steel and finished with forced carbonation, it delivers a crisp, linear profile marked by vivid, mouthwatering acidity. Just-ripe orchard fruits—green apple and pear—are framed by a saline-mineral tension, with the faintest whisper of petrol and wet slate adding complexity to the dry, refreshing finish.

White

2023

Producer

Name

The Vignette Bubbly 2023 is a vibrant sparkling wine composed of 80% Traminette and 20% Vidal Blanc, sourced from New York State Sustainably Certified vines planted in 1998. Fermented in stainless steel and finished with forced carbonation, this hybrid blend opens with vivid aromatics of green apple, apricot, white peach, and a flourish of white flowers and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate carries a perfectly frothy, creamy mousse, balanced by bone-dry precision and a crisp, crunchy acid tension on a refreshing finish.

White

2023

Producer

Name

A zesty, zippy, and zingy Sauvignon Blanc bursting with green apple, pear, and sea grass character, accented by jasmine floral notes. A mouth-puckering squeeze of lemon-lime acidity keeps it light and lively, dancing across the palate.

White

2023

Producer

Name

Brennan Vineyards’ Newburg Vineyard Estate Cuvée is a blend of Viognier and Sémillon, sourced from a west-facing slope on sandy loam soils with excellent drainage, which contributes to the wine’s nice concentration. This white blend showcases a rich mid-palate, beautifully balanced by zesty citrus fruit, salty minerality, and a refreshing, crunchy acid tension. The wine combines depth and vibrancy, making it both complex and easy to enjoy.

White

2023

Producer

Name

Sourced from Newburg Vineyard in Comanche County, this Muscat of Alexandria is a crisp, refreshing light-bodied white wine that opens with fragrant white flower notes, lime citrus, kumquat, and crushed almonds. These flavors linger beautifully, with a hint of honeyed sweetness and a touch of orange zest on the finish. A vibrant and aromatic white.

White

2023

Producer

Name

The Brennan Vineyards 2023 Roussanne from the Texas High Plains is a fairly light-bodied white with subtle citrus and orchard fruit notes, intertwined with a nutty richness. On the palate, it offers a touch of saline minerality, which provides a refreshing balance. As the wine opens up with air, it builds in richness and depth, revealing more complexity. This Roussanne makes for a perfect early evening sipper, offering a blend of freshness and evolving flavors that make it a delightful, easy-drinking choice.

White

2023

Producer

Name

A straightforward Chardonnay sourced from three vineyards spanning from just south of the Russian River to the Petaluma Gap. Picked on the early side, it was barrel-fermented and aged 10 months in 14% new French oak. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation, resulting in a soft, rounded expression of Chardonnay that still retains a bit of bite—thanks to what feels like apple or pear skin tannins. Layers of lemon, lemon curd, quince, and candied ginger unfold on the palate, accented by hints of buttered croissant drizzled with acacia honey. Bone dry and slightly tart on the finish. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

White

2023

Producer

Name

This Pinot Noir is sourced from the biodynamically farmed and organically certified Panther Ridge Vineyard, perched at 900 feet on Sonoma Mountain. The grapes were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 20% new French oak. The resulting wine shows excellent tension and energy, with a focused personality and subtle dark berry fruit framed by crunchy pomegranate-seed tannins. Notes of blood orange, allspice, and tangerine peel carry through a lively, gently spiced finish. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

This Zinfandel is beautifully composed and wonderfully balanced. Pure black cherry and black raspberry aromas rise from the glass, nuanced by elegant cedarwood and subtle vanilla tones. Medium-bodied, it reveals expressive red rose floral notes woven through layers of cinnamon-spiced red berry fruit. Firm tannins provide structure and grip, gradually resolving into a long, fruit- and spice-driven finish. Sourced from the Petrini Vineyard in Rockpile, the wine was aged 10 months in 25% new Slavonian oak, which adds depth and refinement without overshadowing the vibrant fruit. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Fragrant cedarwood notes mingle with bright cherry fruit and a hint of wild herbs. Tart, racy acidity gives the wine lift, while firm, fine-grained tannins guide it to a bone-dry, focused finish. This Pinot Noir is crafted from a mix of vineyards spanning the slopes of Sonoma Mountain to the cool, rolling hills west of Petaluma. The grapes were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 25% new French oak. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Sourced from the organically farmed Sweet Family Vineyard, planted in a protected bowl at 750 feet on the southern end of Sonoma Mountain, the grapes for this Pinot were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in neutral oak. Bright aromatics of candied red berries mingle with cherry wood and apple blossom, leading into a palate bursting with raspberry and strawberry coulis. The tannins are firm, crisp, and crunchy, building toward a dry, spicy finish. Vibrant and expressive, this Pinot Noir would pair beautifully with spiced Mexican dishes or hearty braised meats. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Cristaldi Scores

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

Kerrville Hills

White Wine

Knapp Winery

Brut

Mazza Wines

The Perfect Bubbly

Piper Sonoma

Brut

Sparkling Pointe

Brut Nature

Usonia

West! West!! West!!!

Whitecliff

Awosting White

Whitecliff

North River Methode Champenoise Rose

Whitecliff

North River Petillant (Traminette)

Whitecliff

North River Petillant (Vidal Blanc)

Slouch Hat Wines

As You Were Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Texas Heritage Vineyard

Non-Vintage (NV) Stella Solitaria

Uplift Vineyard

Estate Red III

Wines by Alisa Jacobson

Bait + Switch by AJ, Non Alcoholic Wine, Made with Organic Grapes, Sauvignon Blanc

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