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Cristaldi Scores

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Vintage

Wine

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Rating

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

2021

Wölffer Estate Vineyards

Antonov (White Horse Label) Sauvignon Blanc

From Musqué clones of Sauvignon Blanc, this wine was aged six months sur lie in barrel. It’s lean and focused, bursting with lemon and lime brightness, white floral lift, and a fine beam of flinty, stony minerality that carries from the aromatics through the long finish. The mid-palate brings a fleshy, green melon-like generosity that softens the wine’s taut frame, adding balance and depth. There’s excellent tension and energy throughout, putting a fine point on this expressive Sauvignon Blanc.

2021

Wölffer Estate Vineyards

Caya (White Horse Label) Cabernet Franc

This is a dynamic and expressive Cabernet Franc—super clean, laser-focused, and structured with firm, mineral-laced tannins. A core of red berry and dark cherry fruit anchors the wine, layered with espresso bean, leather, and tobacco notes. There’s a brooding energy here, like the slow-build intensity of a Hitchcock film—compelling, suspenseful, and impossible to turn away from. Composed of 87% Cabernet Franc and 13% Merlot from the estate’s oldest Merlot vines planted in 1990. Aged for 20 months in 40% new and 60% 1- to 3-year-old French oak barriques. 1,286 cases produced.

2021

Wood Family Vineyards

Clone 30 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Rhonda Wood has a special affection for Clone 30, which she believes imparts a velvety quality to her wines. This Cabernet Sauvignon is partially barrel fermented, with the remainder fermented in open-top bins, then aged for 30 months in 70% new French oak. It delivers a classic profile of blackberry, graphite, and bay leaf, layered with rich black currant fruit. The palate builds with intensity, supported by soaring, velvety tannins and a deep core of loamy earth that carries through the long, structured finish.

2021

Wood Family Vineyards

Culmination Proprietary Red

Fermented and aged for 17 months in 45% new French oak, this blend of Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc comes entirely from the One Oak Vineyard. It’s intensely fragrant, with dusty mineral and rose stem aromatics, dried wild herbs, and pretty cedarwood spice.Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, the wine offers supple, plump tannins wrapped around layers of loamy earth, black currant, blackberry, black cherry, and spiced plum. Dark chocolate notes and a burst of blood orange acidity bring freshness and tension, making this an excellent food-friendly wine.

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2021

Producer

Name

Lost Draw’s GSM—a blend of 38% Grenache, 38% Syrah, and 24% Mourvèdre—is a testament to thoughtful winemaking. Fermented in wooden vats and stainless steel, the wine is aged for 19 months in 20% new French Radoux barrels with American oak heads.This well-built red delivers a medium-bodied expression with balanced tension and good energy. Red-toned fruits and brown baking spice notes dominate, complemented by a subtle meatiness, likely contributed by the Grenache. The muscular tannins provide structure, while the finish is long and red-berried, accented by hints of vanilla and sage. A polished and dynamic GSM blend.

2021

Producer

Name

Lost Draw’s Texas Hill Country Sangiovese is sourced from the Uplift Vineyard in the northern part of the Texas Hill Country AVA, which sits atop the Granite Dome—one of the oldest soil series in the U.S. This red is impressively layered, with crunchy red-toned fruit and currant, complemented by vibrant limestone minerality. That minerality is so intense that it practically coats the tannins, giving the wine a dusty texture with subtle crushed rock and white pepper notes. Focused and linear, it has a strong foundation of spicy acidity that gives it both freshness and depth. This is a truly age-worthy Sangiovese, one that I highly recommend considering for collection and cellaring as it will evolve beautifully over time.

2021

Producer

Name

This marks the first time a sparkling wine from this iconic vineyard has come across my desk. Crafted in the traditional method with secondary fermentation in bottle, it spent 28 months on the lees, developing lovely baked apple and toasty brioche richness. Lemon-lime aromatics mingle with nougat, while the creamy, enveloping mousse resolves beautifully through a lime-bright acid freshness.

2021

Producer

Name

This 100% Pinot Noir from the organically farmed Wild King Vineyard is composed entirely of Clone 114. Fermented in open-top vats and aged in neutral oak, only two barrels were produced. The nose is lifted and spicy, with aromas of rose petal, rose stem, and black cherry. On the medium-bodied palate, sinewy tannins take center stage, giving the wine a firm, structured edge. It finishes with impressive energy and a clean, chalky minerality that lingers.

2021

Producer

Name

This flagship red’s grapes are manually selected, with about 20% whole cluster and agewd 6 months in cement tanks and 12 months in large oak barrels. The 2021 offering is a savory, complex sipper with dried violets, blackberry, currants, and raspberry on the nose. The palate has a soft entry, then bursts with vibrant red fruits, a hit of herbs and black pepper spice, and shows power on an impressive finish. – J.R.

2021

Producer

Name

Compelling and structured, this is a fabulous sparkling rosé made in the Méthode Champenoise style. It offers vibrant apple, pear, and cherry fruit alongside cherry pit, a hint of sea spray, and a touch of incense. The frothy, focused mousse leads to a grippy finish where oyster shell minerality takes center stage.

2021

Producer

Name

Sourced from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard, this Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in stainless steel, cold-soaked to enhance color and fruit intensity, then left on the skins for up to 20 days post-fermentation. After pressing and settling, it was racked to barrel and aged for 30 months in 100% new Hungarian oak. This bottling offers a more toned-down expression compared to the Reserve Cabernet, yet it’s still rife with dark currant, black cherry, and spiced plum fruit. The oak influence is more refined and mellowed, allowing dried wild herbs and savory tobacco leaf nuances to shine through on the lengthy finish. Firm, muscular tannins are rounded by mineral tension, giving the wine both structure and finesse.

2021

Producer

Name

Winemaker Mark Clarin says Cabernet Sauvignon should be “big, bold, and badass”—and this wine delivers. Sourced from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard, the grapes were cold-soaked in stainless steel to extract color and fruit intensity, followed by fermentation and up to 20 days of extended maceration on the skins. After pressing and settling, the wine was racked to barrel and aged for 30 months in approximately 65% new oak—a mix of French, Hungarian, and American. It opens with rich baking spice and cocoa powder aromas wrapped around dense blackberry fruit. Full-bodied and intense, the wine boasts bold, powerful tannins that build on the finish. Loamy earth and dark chocolate add depth, while a burst of juicy blood orange acidity brings lift and carries the length.

2021

Producer

Name

Named in honor of the late James Vincent, who founded the winery with his wife Ginger, this Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel with a cold soak to enhance color and fruit intensity, the wine remained on the skins for up to 20 days post-fermentation before being pressed, settled, and racked to barrel. It was then aged for 30 months in 100% new French oak. This bottling delivers a more classic expression of Cabernet, with blackberry, graphite, and toasty oak spices. Notes of black olive and smoked paprika add savory depth. Full-bodied, with soaring, chocolatey tannins and a mineral core of wet slate. The finish is long and layered, with pressed wildflowers and dried fennel adding aromatic complexity.

2021

Producer

Name

The Patriot Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel with a cold soak to extract color and fruit intensity, the wine remained on the skins for up to 20 days post-fermentation before being pressed, settled, and racked to barrel. It was aged for 30 months in 100% new American oak. The moniker is a tribute to the winery’s support of the Fallen Heroes Fund, while also honoring founder James Vincent (a former Alameda County Sheriff). This is the spiciest expression in the McGrail Cabernet lineup, with notes of toasted coconut, white truffle, and a savory meatiness. Full-bodied, with ripping, soaring tannins that frame layers of red and black currant, black cherry, and wild herb nuances on a long finish.

2021

Producer

Name

The 2021 Meierstone Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from the Texas High Plains offers alluring cherry and strawberry fruit notes, complemented by tobacco, leather, and vanilla aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, it reveals more of the same vibrant fruit, supported by a firm foundation of taut tannins that create tension and structure. The wine maintains freshness through its blood orange notes, leading to a finish tinged with a hint of orange zest, adding a refreshing and zesty element.

2021

Producer

Name

The Tallent Vineyards Reserve Tempranillo is a medium-bodied red framed by tart red fruit and spice, with rather intense, grippy tannins. This wine benefits from a bit of air to soften its structure, allowing the fruit and spice elements to come forward. Serve it with some hearty Texas brisket.

2021

Producer

Name

Irresistibly drinkable, Meierstone Vineyard’s Sangiovese from the Texas High Plains shows vibrant cranberry and cherry fruit character. Espresso bean, mocha, and vanilla bean notes add some complexity, all carried through delicously to a medium-bodied finish.

2021

Producer

Name

The 2021 “Wrecking Ball” is a full-bodied red blend of Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, offering crunchy red-toned fruit and brown spice notes, with hints of molasses and dried herbs. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it maintains good tension, finishing dry, with a robust backbone of crisp tannins that provide structure and depth.

2021

Producer

Name

The 2021 Sangiovese from Michael Ros Vineyard in the Texas High Plains bursts from the glass with red currant fruits, complemented by green tobacco, spices, sage, and underbrush aromas. The palate is framed by firm, taut, muscular tannins, leading to a mineral-rich finish.

2021

Producer

Name

This Tannat from Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains is incredibly savory, with bright herbaceous notes leaping out of the glass, reminiscent of jalapeño, dried sage, smoky thyme, and rosemary. On the medium-bodied palate, red currants abound, while the tannins are firm and tense, providing structure and depth. Give it some air to allow those tannins to soften a bit.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

$

2021

2021 Lost Draw Wines GSM

Still

$

2021

2021 Lost Draw Wines Sangiovese

Still

$$

2021

2021 Loubud Wines Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

Sparkling Wine

N/A

2021

2021 Lumen Wild King Vineyard, The Mad King, Pinot Noir

Still Wine

N/A

2021

2021 Madrevite C’osa

Still Wine

$

2021

2021 Maison Jussiaume Oeil de Perdrix

Sparkling Wine

N/A

2021

2021 McGrail Vineyards A Jó Élet “The Good Life” Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2021

2021 McGrail Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Still Wine

$

2021

2021 McGrail Vineyards James Vincent Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2021

2021 McGrail Vineyards The Patriot Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2021

2021 Meierstone Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Still

$$

2021

2021 Meierstone Vineyards Reserve Tempranillo

Still

$$

2021

2021 Meierstone Vineyards Sangiovese

Still

$

2021

2021 Meierstone Vineyards Wrecking Ball

Still

$$

2021

2021 Michael Ros Sangiovese

Still Wine

$

2021

2021 Michael Ros Tannat

Still

N/A

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