The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
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Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
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.
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.
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.
Apparently there is some evidence that the woman who modeled for the famous namesake painting spent some time on the estate. Drawn from a selection of estate parcels including Vitigliano, Prato, and Querceto, this wine is reserved for stronger vintages. The vineyards lie on the left bank of the Greve River, where a mix of Sillano-derived soils—generally low in clay and limestone but rich in stones—provides good drainage and variability across sites. Pockets of pietraforte and galestro add further complexity to the growing conditions. Élevage is split between smaller French oak barriques and larger-format casks, with the wine spending close to two years in wood. It is then held back for additional maturation, including time in bottle, bringing the total aging period to around two and a half years before release. “2016 was the last vintage that we had as a normal, regular vintage. In 2018 the vines were recovering from the shock of 2017. We had some rain during Spring. In 2018, the emotion of the vintage [in the bottle] is more relaxed,” notes Lucia Minoggio, head of Press for Vignamaggio. There’s more wood and herbal nuance to the nose here than to be found on their Terre di Prenzano Classico offering, along with more concentrated black cherry and blue plum fruits, topped with grilled orange peel and tobacco notes. The palate is polished, elegant, and fresh; while there’s no denying those ripe, bursting cherry and redcurrant flavors, the blood orange acidity and dusty tannins really bring the mouthfeel into excellent focus. The finish is outstanding, lasting well over a minute and never once losing freshness for a second.
Sourced entirely from Sangiovese (vines averaging 20 years old) grown in the Prenzano parcel and nearby estate vineyards, the fruit reflects a mix of sites clustered around the historic villa. Prenzano sits at the upper reaches of the property, where lighter, sand-influenced soils—similar in character to those found in Lamole—tend to yield more aromatic, finely structured wines. Juicy and delicious, with cedar, vanilla, and orange peel notes sitting atop ample and ripe cherry and red plum fruits. The black cherry flavor on the vibrant palate is immediately appealing, and the structure in the mid-palate is surprising, giving this red focus to balance out the fruitiness and acidity. The finish stays chewy and refreshing, inviting another (or several) sips. This one will add a touch of class to pasta night, for sure. Matured in a combination of oak, with roughly equal portions of new barrels, second-use barrels, and older, more neutral casks contributing to the final blend.
Whoa. A black-fruited cornucopia is going on here, with intense, dark graphite notes among red and black currants. There are also warm baking spices, toast, grilled and dried herbs, and just a ton of hedonistic, opulent complexity happening up front on the nose. The palate is delightful, chewy, delicious, and BIG on everything: red and black plum juiciness, structure, acidity, and power. It feels like a picture-perfect match for grilled flank steak and potatoes. Aged in 50% new French Oak barrels.
Keith Emerson (of Vineyard 29 and AtLarge) notes that “we’ve been working with these vineyards since 2016. I just love it, everytime we get there you just are in awe of how different it is to St. Helena. The soil is just… rocks. I love working with the fruit.” The plantings for this Cabernet are situated at up to 2,300 feet, from the Block 3D Crimson Ridge, and Amber Knolls west block 1C. The fruits are bright, red and blue on the nose, accentuated by ample laurel, rosepetal, and baking spice notes. Similar to other Amber Knolls reds, there’s an herbal and savory component that is prominent while also being well-integrated. The palate is a total crowd-pleaser, balancing buoyant, plummy fruits with bright acidity. It’s a bit of a masterclass in mountain Cab tannin management, too. Delicious, it’s a near-perfect introduction to the AVA’s luxury tier. Aged 20 months in 60% new and 40% once-used French oak.
This showcase red, sourced from Block 1B planted in 1999 to Clone 337, is meant only as a demonstration of the site’s potential and is not made available for general sale. It spends 17 months in 100% French oak, and it’s wonderful stuff. Cola, black cherry, pencil lead, dried and very savory herbs, sage, blackberry compote, and hints of mint all appear on the expressive and complex nose. On the palate, this EXPLODES with black cherry juiciness, later showing black plum, cassis, and notes of leather, licorice, and toast. Powerful and voluptuous in the mouth, it does a great job of balancing upfront fruit with its more structural elements, like its cherry skin tannins and ultra-bright acidity.
With just 200 cases produced, this Dry Riesling is thoroughly charming and highly aromatic, bursting from the glass with honeysuckle richness infusing yellow apple and tangerine blossom notes. Medium-bodied, it reveals a splendidly silky, orchard-fruit-driven profile, supported by a firm spine of zesty, chalky acidity. The finish is long and gently resonant, marked by delicate baking spice nuances.
I greatly admired the 2023, and this 2024 stands shoulder to shoulder with it. It offers bright red berry fruit layered with elegant earthy and tobacco spice, cedarwood accents and lifted violet florals. The tannins are softer than in the previous vintage, yet they quietly assert themselves, building through the earthy, floral-driven finish with gentle persistence and poise. The 2024 Cabernet Franc is sourced from vineyards on Seneca Lake. Each lot was vinified separately in one-ton bins, with 20% saignée prior to fermentation, 10% whole-cluster inclusion and native yeast ferments. Aged for 12 months in neutral French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Sumptuously earthy, with rich blackberry fruit interlaced with leather and dried violets. Medium-bodied, it is shaped by gentle tannins and a streak of zesty acidity that brings real juiciness and lift. The finish gathers intensity, marked by bright wild herbs reminiscent of dill and thyme. Refreshing and thoroughly appealing.
One sniff, one sip, and you’ll be singing ‘Hello, darkness my old friend,’ because this wine will come for you again and again, with its positively dark, brooding black cherry fruit laced with umami-rich Hoisin sauce, building with a brightness of muddled strawberry fruit, candied violets, and fine brown baking spices on the full-bodied finish.
There it is—your childhood in a glass. That candied red-berry fruit, licorice, and Sweetart candy we’d buy on the walk home from middle school, liquified, positively irresistible on the palate, supported by a granular, almost chalky texture, or like ultra-fine sand, that resolves through a bright, juicy, and fragrant finish.
Alright, someone told you about Moscato once, and you never looked back. And why would you, if you love a white wine that gives the impression of walking through a park dotted with honeysuckle bushes, jasmine, or Magnolias. That’s this wine. On the palate, it bears a balanced sweetness, never overpowering, but redolent of lemons, limes, and poached pears, and always that fragrant sweet white floral note lingering through the slightest joyful effervescence.
If you love Italian Pinot Grigio, this light-bodied Californian counterpoint delivers the same zippy, citrusy, easy-going quality, but imbued with riper-tasting citrus and orchard fruit grown under a canopy of bright California sunshine. A touch of baking spice and wet river stone finish brings complexity.
