2023

Cristaldi Scores

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Vintage

Wine

Color

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Augusta Vin

Sirens Brut Estate Sparkling Wine

Produced in the traditional method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 18 months in neutral French oak barrels, then three months en tirage, with a dosage of 12g/L. Composed entirely of Counoise from the 2023 vintage. Aromas of toasty French pastry, grapefruit zest, and flinty minerality lead into a palate marked by vibrant grapefruit oil notes. The mousse is focused, building richness from the generous dosage, yet the wine remains nicely balanced with a bracing mineral finish.

White

2023

AUTEUR

Bacigalupi Chardonnay

A wild yeast, low production (249 cases), Old Wente Clone Chardonnay from one of Sonoma’s most celebrated vineyards, this white sees no malolactic fermentation. Lifted aromas of golden apples, toast, honeysuckle, white tea leaves, and ripe citrus lead into fantastic flavors of lemon, white peaches, and hazelnuts. Packed with elegance and verve, this is excellent from start to finish. – J.R.

White

2023

B Cellars

Calesa Vineyard Chardonnay

What a luscious, lovely, rich, and creamy Chardonnay — with plenty of acid verve. Delicious vanilla shows on the back palate alongside well-integrated cedarwood spice. There’s ample crunchy acidity to keep it fresh, bright, and classy. From Calesa Vineyard, all night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 35% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

White

2023

B Cellars

Calesa Vineyard Pinot Noir

Sourced from Calesa Vineyard, a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. The nose is absolutely gorgeous — dark cherry fruit, warm brown baking spices, a hint of soy, black truffle, and velvety tannins, with a touch of sea-salt savor. The palate shows impressive depth: grapefruit peel, black sea salt, a broad, velvety texture, and a refined, seamless expression. Terrific grip and tension, yet still lush and inviting. Super cool — this one will fire you up.

Red

2023

B Cellars

Manzana Vineyard Pinot Noir

From Manzana Vineyard, planted to Clones 777 and 828, and blended together. The site sits off Occidental Road, a hillside parcel close to Kanzler. The nose is elegant and expressive — cherry fruit, sagebrush, bay laurel — like walking in a cool Redwood grove — all building into medium richness with sweet baking spices woven around dark cherry and raspberry. Medium-bodied, with velvety tannins and a touch of cola root, plus lovely ironstone and earthy minerality and a hint of black-truffle charcuterie on the finish. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Red

2023

B Cellars

Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel

This is a spectacular Zinfandel, with gorgeous red- and black-toned aromatics, loamy earth, robust tannins, and impressive acid grip. Beautiful, lacy ironstone minerality and apple-skin tannins bring freshness, verve, and drive, all framed by sturdy, firm structure that underscores the juicy, ripe, concentrated fruit from 130-year-old vines. Impressively long and layered for a Zinfandel. Aged in 40% new French oak.

Red

2023

B Cellars

Nightwing Vineyard Pinot Noir

Nightwing is super silky and luscious, built around a core of dark berry fruit and rich brown baking spices. The palate is wonderfully broad — velvety and silky at the same time — filling in all the gaps and finishing with a fabulous, laser-like line of complexity. It’s classic Venge style: hitting all the broad-palate markers yet finishing with lift, lightness, and brightness.

Red

2023

B Cellars

Zinfandel

From Hambrecht Vineyard at the top of Dry Creek Road, this Zinfandel was aged for 16 months in three-year-dried American oak barrels. It is robust and powerful — a fitting send-off, as it is the last Zinfandel B Cellars will make. Dark-fruited and savory-spiced, with ample tannins and rich brown baking spices, it shows fig paste, cherry fruit and gorgeous length.

Red

2023

Balletto Vineyards

Teresa's Chardonnay

From the Sexton Valley Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills, this Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, undergoes partial malolactic fermentation, and is aged entirely in stainless steel. The result is a bright, energetic wine that’s light on its feet yet full of character. Aromas of lemon oil, lemon zest, and white flowers lead to a palate brimming with tangerine peel, crunchy kumquat skin, and vibrant acidity. The finish lingers with stony, wet minerality and subtle notes of lemon curd.

White

2023

Banshee

Cabernet Sauvignon

The Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon comes from estate fruit across Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Mountain, and Knights Valley. At its suggested retail price of $30, this is a fantastic value. It delivers a generous punch of savory Sonoma character—sagebrush, wild thyme, and bay laurel—wrapped around beautifully pure cassis and blackberry fruit. Elegant cedarwood spice adds lift, while fine tannins and earthy tension shape the palate. Super-pristine fruit and balanced structure make this a killer wine for the price.

Red

2023

Banshee

Pinot Noir

This Pinot is not 100% Pinot Noir—there’s a small portion of Sangiovese and Grenache Noir in the blend. It’s sourced mostly from the estate, with additional fruit coming from select Sonoma Coast sites. Fermentation takes place warm in stainless steel and moves relatively quickly before the wine is barreled down for 10 months in 15% new French oak. There’s a real forest-floor, underbrush, wild-berry character here, accented by a pop of minty freshness, violets, and blue-fruit notes. Pomegranate-seed tannins and velvety textures frame the palate, finishing with lengthy blood orange and zesty grapefruit. The wines in the Banshee portfolio are better than ever—bright, fresh, and full of tension.

Red

2023

Becker Vineyards

Chardonnay Reserve

Becker’s Reserve Chardonnay is sourced from Canada Family Vineyards in Plains, near the New Mexico border, and Tallent Vineyards in Mason within the Texas Hill Country AVA. Fermented and aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak, it’s a lush, full-bodied, and supple Chardonnay built on a rich, toasty oak profile—more buttered croissant than dark toast. Layers of apricot cream, pineapple crème brûlée, and salted lemon unfold across the palate, leading to a lemon curd finish. Generous yet balanced throughout.

White

2023

Becker Vineyards

Jolie Rose

The “Jolie” Rosé from Becker Vineyards is a vibrant wine that feels like a fruit salad in the glass with notes of strawberry, watermelon, white peach, and a touch of spring flowers. Medium-bodied with lasting richness and tension, this rosé is both approachable and layered. The surprise comes on the finish, where subtle hints of white pepper and coriander cream await.

Rosé

2023

Becker Vineyards

Montepulciano

This blend of 95% Montepulciano with about 1.5% each of Tempranillo, Dolcetto, and Barbera was aged for 16 months in neutral French and American oak barrels. The wine is meaty and medium-bodied, offering dark chocolate–covered cherry fruit, loamy earth, violets, and maple-cured bacon notes. Soft, supple tannins frame a sweet-fruited finish laced with brown spice.

Red

2023

Billsboro Winery

Albariño

100% Albariño from Sawmill Creek Vineyards. Still a rarity in the Finger Lakes, this wine showcases lime-bright aromatics and a zesty spine of acidity. Light-bodied and energetic, it delivers a core of citrus fruit wrapped in chalky minerality, finishing with a persistent lime zest snap.

White

2023

Billsboro Winery

Apres

100% Vignoles from Hunt Country Vineyards in Branchport, NY. A lush, tropical white with ripe mango and papaya aromas, lifted by honeysuckle florals. The palate is generous and juicy, finishing with impressive length.

White

2023

Billsboro Winery

Cabernet Franc

100% Cabernet Franc from Sawmill Creek Vineyards in Hector, NY. Aged for nine months in 4–5-year-old French oak barrels. This is an elegant, red-fruited expression of Cabernet Franc, layered with notes of espresso bean, brown spice, and a zesty infusion of tangerine and grapefruit. A stony minerality anchors the palate.

Red

2023

Billsboro Winery

Saluti

65% Grüner Veltliner and 35% Cayuga White. Filtered and force-carbonated the week before bottling on May 2, 2024. Crisp, clean, and refreshing with crunchy green apple, citrusy lift, and a saline-acid tension that makes it an ideal match for charcuterie and cheese.

White

2023

Bingham Family Vineyards

Windmill Oaked White Wine

The 2023 Windmill from Bingham Family Vineyards is crafted entirely from Texas High Plains grapes and aged for six months in French oak. This intriguing wine begins with subtle stone and orchard fruit notes, accompanied by a delicate hint of nuttiness.On the palate, it evolves with a medium- to full-bodied presence, offering lush fruit character and a touch of sweetness. Its unique profile makes it a versatile choice, pairing beautifully with peach cobbler or enjoyed on its own with a good chill.

White

2023

Blue Farm

Anne Katherina Pinot Noir

Anne Moller-Racke planted this vineyard with the intention of making one wine — and she produces just over 300 cases of this estate bottling. Clone 115 brings lift and perfume, Swan Clone contributes texture, and Clone 667 layers in tannin and structure. The site itself is flat, and the wine’s dimension comes from the interplay of these clones. It sits on an old riverbed with abundant gravel, and that drainage, Moller-Racke says, gives the wine its added structure and tannic frame. The wine is dense and powerful, with ripe cherry and strawberry fruit that’s very pure and beautifully delineated. A mineral intensity runs straight through it, and the tannins are crisp and robust, building across the floral and earthy finish. Quite a wine.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Chardonnay

This is a light, bright, zippy Chardonnay, boasting Sonoma Coast sea-spray minerality, subtle lemon and lime citrus, white flowers, and unsalted, unroasted almonds with a touch of almond-skin grip. There’s plenty of tension to carry this medium-bodied white well into the night or through a long meal, while a hint of sea grass and vanilla rounds it all out.

White

2023

Blue Farm

Farmhouse Pinot Noir

The Farmhouse Estate Pinot lifts from the glass with a fragrant wet-slate character, followed by cherry and raspberry fruit. Firm tannins anchor a deep mineral core redolent of iron and salt, while dried thyme and rosemary add intrigue. A subtle sappy quality threads through the palate, making the wine quietly thought-provoking. The finish is spicy and insistent — the kind that makes you pause and wonder what’s going on in the glass, in the world, in your own life. And honestly? That’s a fine way to spend an evening, especially with a glass of this nearby.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

Gap’s Crown is fermented in stainless steel and aged in up to 50% new French oak for as long as 17 months. Anne Moller-Racke buys from two blocks: Block 13, planted to Clone 777 on the lower, gravelly portion of the site where it’s cooler with some clay and dense spacing, and the vines are now over 20 years old; and Block 8, planted to Clone 667 at a higher elevation in a smaller parcel. There are wonderfully cool aromas coming off this wine — bright cherry, cranberry, and a white-plum note, with a touch of white pepper spice. The palate is quite delicious, packed with juicy dark berry fruit, Asian spices, clove, and cocoa powder, framed by crisp tannins. It carries real generosity and elegance, all supported by a powerful framework and some lingering cedarwood spice. Super youthful now, and poised to deliver beautifully over the next 5–15 years.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

King Ridge Pinot Noir

This site sits at 1,000 feet of elevation, across from the Failla Vineyard, with vines rooted in Goldridge soils. The wine is incredibly beautiful — the aromatics are gorgeous, with dark blackberry and plum, plus flashes of blue fruit. It’s immensely generous. Made from two clones, Bacigalupi and the Hyde/Calera selection, it shows brilliant lift and clarity. On the palate, there’s great wet-slate minerality, fragrant cocoa-nib notes, and a real saline–acid freshness. All that ripe, juicy, complex fruit stains the palate and drives into a full-bodied finish with exacting, building tannins. Super intensity.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Laceroni Chardonnay

Winemaker Anne Moller-Racke has worked with this fruit since 2013. She doesn’t put it through malolactic fermentation—she likes acid. She gets around four tons of a single clone and uses Montrachet plus another yeast to layer in freshness and a touch of reductive edge, with partial fermentation in concrete and one-third in new French oak. Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Chardonnay. It’s bright, vivid, electric—full of sea-spray minerality, cool wet river stones, crushed Marcona almonds, and white-flower notes, lifted by tangerine peel and lemon verbena freshness. It’s so layered and captivating. The wine is stirred early and left on primary lees until bottling, adding fantastic baking-spice depth framed by crisp, crunchy acidity.

White

2023

Blue Farm

Laceroni Pinot Noir

From Laceroni Vineyard—situated in the far-southwestern reaches of the Russian River Valley near Graton and spanning roughly 45 acres on classic, well-draining Goldridge sandy loam—comes a more structured and grippier expression of RRV Pinot Noir. The site’s softly rolling hills and coastal influence help produce fruit of refined ripeness: crisp, crunchy and beautifully poised. That energy carries straight onto the palate, where apple-skin tannins and notable textural grip give the wine tension and shape. Subtle brown baking spices and flinty wet-stone minerality add further dimension, supporting the elegant red-berry profile without overwhelming it. Quite a lovely wine with genuine cellar-worthy capability.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Pinot Noir

What a wonderfully pure Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, bursting with juicy, ripe red cherry, cranberry and strawberry fruit. It leans into cherry compote and warm baking spices, yet all that lush, creamy Russian River fruit is kept beautifully in check by cool acid tension. Textural grip—like biting into a ripe red apple and feeling the pull of the skin—adds dimension, underscored by slick espresso-bean oil, blood-orange or tangerine peel and a touch of smoky, flinty minerality. Super complex and inviting.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Pinot Noir

Anne Moller-Racke was the vineyard manager at Chateau Buena Vista from the early 1980s until 2001, when she helped establish Donum and remained there until 2019. During that time, she planted the Anne Katherina Vineyard in Carneros and, in 2013, began producing wine under her own label, Blue Farm. Total production is around 2,500 cases. The Sonoma Coast bottling is a blend of Anne’s vineyard sources and is poured mainly by the glass in local restaurants. She self-distributes in California. Once the fruit arrives at the winery, it’s sorted, given a light saignée, then cold-soaked for 3–5 days. As the must warms, fermentation kicks off in tank at cool temperatures for up to 19 days. Once dry, it’s pressed, and only the free run is used. The wine is aged in one-third new French oak for up to 17 months. This Pinot Noir is a bit coiled and very youthful, showing crunchy red berry fruit, chalky minerality, and a real earthiness—perhaps from the Wadenswil clone. Black tea–like tannins frame the palate as darker fruit emerges on the mid-palate and finish. There’s plenty of tension and freshness throughout.

Red

2023

Blue Farm

Riverbed Pinot Noir

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

Blue Farm

White Pinot

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

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2023

Producer

Name

A beautifully full and expressive red wine, offering red cherry and blackberry fruit with graphite, fleshy new-wood cedar, and a savory olive-tapenade character. The palate is super creamy and richly textured, driven by pristine dark-berry fruit that leads into mulberry and blueberry. The tannins are gorgeous — cedar-kissed, full-framed, elongated, almost beam-like — and the finish carries a seductive mineral intensity that stretches out over lingering fruit and stone. Just splendid in 2023. Aperture’s Oliver Ranch surrounds the Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus in Alexander Valley. Winemaker Jesse Katz has worked with this fruit since 2010 and produced his first single-vineyard bottling from the site in 2014. Designed by famed viticulturist Phil Freese in the 1980s on an old riverbed of polished stones, much of the 3.6-acre ranch is dry-farmed.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Wow — this is something. Positively stellar, full-bodied, with chewy tannins that are perfectly framed, elongated and almost sensual in the way they caress the palate. The wine is rich, full-bodied, generous and complexly layered with mixed-berry fruit, yet it is overwhelmingly mineral and tension-filled. A distinctly gravelly complexity is evident, thanks to the vineyard’s soils — gravelly clay and gravelly volcanic deposits spread across the site — and the result is a wine of unimaginable freshness. It is spectacular. The SJ Ranch in Alexander Valley is a 7.9-acre vineyard of volcanic soils adjacent to Verité off Thomas Road. Cabernet Sauvignon Clones 337 and 7 are blended and aged for 22 months in 90% new French oak, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

This is the kind of Chardonnay I could drink from morning to morning. Bennett Valley, an ancient geological crater bordered to the west by Sonoma Mountain and the Petaluma Gap AVA, traps cold air as it spills over the mountain, creating a bowl-like effect that necessitates frost protection throughout the growing season. Fruit from this site was gently whole-cluster pressed and sent directly to barrel for fermentation with native yeasts, including roughly 25% new French oak. Aged for 16 months, the resulting wine is bright and focused on the nose, with inviting aromas of candied citrus peel, baking spices, toasted oak, and a hint of candied ginger. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it mirrors the aromatic complexity, with warming notes of vanilla, crushed Marcona almonds, and citrus peel carried through a lengthy, layered finish. Rich yet precise, this is a beautifully composed and texturally compelling wine.

White

2023

Producer

Name

From the renowned Kanzler Vineyard, the 2023 Pinot Noir bursts with vivid freshness and tension, offering bright notes of ruby red grapefruit, blood orange, and savory sage. Aromatics of anise, mint, rose petal, and rose stem lend complexity and lift, while crisp, woody tannins provide structure. Juicy, spicy acidity laced with saline and pine forest character underscores the wine’s impeccable grip and precision. Compared to the softer, more supple 2022 vintage, the 2023 is taut and energetic, built for longevity. Enjoy the generosity of the 2022s now—by the boatload—while the 2023s continue to evolve toward their full potential.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

This wine bangs hard — In a great way! Sourced from both hillside and valley floor vineyards within the Sonoma Mountain AVA, this wine showcases striking vitality and spice-driven aromatics. The nose is bold and expressive, with notes of blood orange, grapefruit zest, fragrant pine forest, and wild underbrush. Medium-bodied on the palate, it unfolds with vibrant citrus tones and firm yet elongated velvety tannins. Rose petal lifts the lengthy, perfumed finish. Grapes were destemmed, then cluster- and berry-sorted before undergoing a seven-day cold soak in stainless steel with inactive yeasts naturally propagating. Fermentation began spontaneously as the must warmed, driven entirely by native yeasts. Following fermentation, precise press cuts separated free-run and press juice before barreling. The wine was aged for 16 months in 87% new French oak, resulting in a complex, richly textured expression of Sonoma Mountain fruit.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

The 2023 Simpatico Ranch Chardonnay marks a textural departure from the 2022 vintage. Whereas the 2022 was softer and suppler, the 2023 is fresher, more dynamic, and longer on the palate, with focused tension and a deeper layering of candied ginger and rich brown baking spices—almost like brown sugar spice—unfolding along the finish. Sea spray minerality carries the day, complemented by lemony citrus and tangerine zest, alongside characteristic apple blossom and nutty, spiced nuances that emerge on the lingering finish. Captivating and mouth-watering.

White

2023

Producer

Name

(Barrel Sample) This polished, expressive, and medium-bodied Mourvèdre offers crunchy red berry fruit, sweet spices, and cedarwood, all framed by firm, inviting tannins that lay a solid foundation. Already in great condition, the wine shows great promise. I’m excited to taste and rate the finished wine in the coming year, as it holds a lot of potential.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

(Barrel Sample) This multi-vintage blend of Mourvèdre is already in fantastic condition, offering ripe red cherry and brambly red berry fruits that mingle beautifully with sweet baking spices, elegant cedarwood, and bright rose florals. The medium-bodied palate is supported by polished tannins, making for a very fresh, racy, and captivating wine. I can’t wait to taste the final product, and I believe consumers will be equally thrilled with the direction these wines are heading. Since Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger began making the wines in 2021, big changes have been happening at Arrowhead Creek each vintage. This is definitely a wine to watch.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Leading with vivid, earthy aromatics and fragrant red berry fruit, this estate-grown Cabernet Franc (sourced from sustainably certified vines in the Niagara Escarpment AVA) is laced with spicy wild herbs and grilled Padrón pepper nuances. Supple tannins carry a slightly sappy texture, framing notes of black currant and a brown sugar–spiced charcuterie quality on the finish.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Tank fermented with twice-daily pumpovers and oxygen exposure via gravity feed sump, this wine was aged for two years in stainless steel prior to bottling. The result is a crisp, clean, and vibrant expression of red berry fruit, accented by vivid cinnamon spice, cedarwood nuances, and firm, cedar-rich tannins. Zesty blood orange and grapefruit peel acidity adds lift and energy to the finish. Sourced from 100% estate-grown fruit in Sustainably Certified, herbicide-free vineyards in the Niagara Escarpment AVA.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from the Nella Terra and Sunol Highlands Vineyards was barrel-fermented in American oak, then aged in stainless steel barrels. And wow—this is something else. Supercharged aromatics leap from the glass: toasty oak, slivered dried coconut, and sugar-dusted lemon bar meet lemon curd. On the palate, the wine shifts into sport mode, revealing refined apricot and white peach notes, lemon oil, and crunchy kumquat skin. Bold, burly, and full of personality, it’s highly recommended for camping trips, backyard BBQs, or anytime you want to pour something that feels profound without breaking the bank. Go for gold.

White

2023

Producer

Name

This 51% Sémillon / 49% Sauvignon Blanc blend, sourced from Bodegas Aguirre’s vineyard, was barrel-fermented in American oak and aged in stainless steel barrels. It’s not as bold as the pure Sauvignon Blanc, but offers similarly rich aromatics—think toasty oak, slivered coconut, butterscotch, and toffee, with maybe a hint of incense. On the palate, the wine becomes more refined, with lemon, lime, and Granny Smith apple acidity, plus a green apple skin grip. The finish is medium in length, with good tension and mineral drive.

White

2023

Producer

Name

Bold notes of yellow apple, quince, and apricot lead the charge in this expressive white, lifted by white flowers and honeysuckle aromatics. Medium-bodied, with crunchy apple-driven acidity and a core of crushed salty Marcona almonds, the palate delivers impressive length. Subtle layers of fresh ginger, lemon peel, and chalky minerality emerge on the finish, framed by just a whisper of toasty oak.

White

2023

Producer

Name

Totally captivating from the first sniff to the last sip, this Chardonnay opens with a burst of bright oyster shell minerality, layered with lemon zest and yellow apple that evolve into quince and ginger on the palate. Apple skin tannins lend texture and tension to this electric, acid-driven wine. Rich tangerine oil is beautifully balanced by Sta. Rita Hills’ signature lemon-lime brightness and sea spray salinity. A masterful wine—bracing yet rich, structured yet giving. Subtle hints of honeydew and honeycomb emerge on an almost everlasting finish. This should continue to develop wonderfully over the next decade, making it one to savor now or cellar with confidence.