The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
This is one laser-focused, mineral-driven, tension-filled rosé of Cabernet Franc. Subtle red berry fruit mingles with spicy herbal notes—like biting into a gently spicy shishito or padron pepper. Beautifully expressive and precise, it finishes with electric acid brightness that can carry it effortlessly from aperitivo through to the end of a meal. Sourced from estate-grown, 100% certified sustainable vines, the Cabernet Franc grapes were harvested at midnight, followed by a 12-hour cold soak and fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
The winery’s Melody Vineyard was the first commercial planting of this cultivar in 1984, and they’ve produced a varietal Melody bottling ever since. Harvested in late September, the grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and aromatic lift. Kiwi fruit rises from the glass and settles into a light- to medium-bodied white with soft, silky texture and a bright acid backbone. Subtle notes of orchard fruit and wet river stone round out this elegant and easy-drinking wine—perfect for enjoying with a good book or while prepping ingredients for a slow-cooked meal.
100% Cabernet Franc from the winery’s home vineyard on the west side of Cayuga Lake, currently in conversion to biodynamics. Hand-harvested, fully de-stemmed, with a spontaneous fermentation and three-week maceration. Aged in neutral barrels for 10 months and bottled in August 2023, unfined and unfiltered. This wine delivers terrific dark berry fruit concentration—think mulberry and cherry compote—layered with fine cedarwood, star anise, and violet aromatics. Earthy undertones emerge as the wine builds, anchored by soaring tannins and bracing acid tension that lead to a firmly grippy finish.
100% Steuben—a hybrid developed in the early 20th century—biodynamically farmed by Corey Christie on his family’s farm outside of Naples, NY. Hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and left on skins overnight before being pressed to stainless for spontaneous fermentation, then aged five months in neutral barrel before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulfur. This is exactly the sort of wine that deserves to be on every natural wine bar list in NYC: wildly original and refreshingly alive. It drinks like a cross between fresh-pressed juice and kombucha—brightly red-fruited, layered with herbal lift and a musky, mineral edge. Think muddled white peach, dried herbs, and a trace of incense on the finish. Medium-bodied, fascinating, and endlessly drinkable.
Meaty and savoury, this wine pulses with black olive and black liquorice notes, layered with the umami depth of cured Bresaola and lifted by dried rose petals on both the nose and palate. There’s a zing of blood orange acidity and a zesty, grippy tension that propels the fruit-driven finish. The blend is 75% fruit from Serenity Vineyards (under 10-day carbonic maceration) on the west side of Seneca Lake, farmed by the Hermann J. Wiemer team. The remaining 25% hails from New Suns, the home vineyard on the west side of Cayuga Lake, and was fully destemmed with a two-week maceration. Aged in neutral barrels for 10 months before blending and bottling in August 2024. Hand-harvested and spontaneously fermented.
No fining, no filtration, and spontaneous fermentation—this wine is a bit of savage creature. A heady mix of savory herbs, dried rose petals, and expressive black cherry and blackberry fruit leads the charge, accented by pomegranate seed crunch and a zippy, almost prickly acid tension. The finish is perfumed and exotic, with notes of blood orange, lavender, and rose water. Sourced from Ria’s Wines on the east side of Seneca Lake, the blend includes Baco Noir (fermented whole cluster) and a co-fermentation of Chelois and Traminette (also whole cluster), managed with a gentle hand during cap work and aged 60% in stainless steel and 40% in neutral oak.
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.
A super frothy, expressive, and layered sparkling wine with savory notes of dried herbs and strawgrass layered over creamy citrus and baked orchard fruit. Everything builds beautifully on the medium-bodied palate, where hints of toasted almonds and French pastry add depth and texture to the long, elegant finish. The 2019 growing season was ideal for sparkling wine production—a cooler year that allowed Chardonnay to ripen slowly and evenly. Made using the méthode traditionnelle, the fruit was hand-picked and whole cluster pressed. Fermentation lasted 20 days at 51°F, followed by cold settling, cold stabilization, racking, and filtration.
This is exactly the kind of wine you crave on a hot, humid summer day—equally perfect at the end of a meal, poolside, or lounging beachside. It’s a bright, cherry-scented and expressive sparkler, bursting with honeysuckle and jasmine florals, unmistakable notes of white peach and candied peach rings, and a creamy, sweet mousse that finishes off-dry. You can never be too much of a wine snob to enjoy this—and if you say you don’t, you’re just lying to yourself. Made from 90% Valvin Muscat and 10% Barbera, all estate-grown, the fruit was machine-picked, crushed, and destemmed directly to press. After a standard press cycle, the juice was cold settled before racking and inoculated with Epernay II yeast. Fermentation lasted 20 days at an average temperature of 55°F before it was arrested; the wine was then racked, blended, filtered, and sent to Lakewood Vineyards for force carbonation and bottling.
This feels like a familiar friend, showing approchable and lifted honeysuckle and grapefruit character alongside hints of white peach and a creamy, rich, layered mousse that resolves with balanced sweetness. Made from 100% estate-grown Valvin Muscat, the fruit was destemmed directly to press and cold settled before racking. Fermentation was cool and arrested at the desired levels of residual sugar and alcohol. The wine was then racked, filtered, and sent to Lakewood Vineyards for force carbonation and bottling.
Sourced from Swedish Hill Winery’s Blue Water Vineyards, a second-generation family-owned estate along the western shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes AVA, this white shows alluring notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and green candied melon that lift from the glass. On the palate, a supple mid-palate sweetness evokes a perfectly ripe peach at its peak, followed by accents of grapefruit zest, lime blossom, and wet slate minerality on the lengthy, expressive finish.
A focused, zippy, and zesty white with fragrant notes of sea grass, sea spray, grapefruit zest, and pithy lime carried across a light- to medium-bodied palate. The finish is long and driven by saline-laced acidity. Grapes are sourced from Swedish Hill Winery’s Blue Water Vineyards, a second-generation family-owned estate along the western shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes AVA.
From Mark Snyder’s Red Hook Winery comes this Reserve bottling, crafted by Christopher Nicolson with consulting by Napa Valley legend Robert Foley. A standout in the lineup I tasted on a Sunday in early June, this wine is rich, satiny, velvety, and plush. I first met Snyder years ago on the bottling line at Foley’s Howell Mountain winery. The wine shows real skill in coaxing supple fruit energy and layered charm from Seneca Lake-grown grapes. There’s plenty of power and length here, with firm tannins to support further aging. Black pepper, tobacco, loamy earth, and emerging black tea notes add nuance to the dark fruit core. It’s drinking beautifully now, but its structure promises even greater complexity with time.
From Mark Snyder’s Red Hook Winery comes this Reserve, crafted by Christopher Nicolson with consulting from Abe Schoener. At 15 years of age, it’s remarkably enjoyable—downright enviable. The wine has developed an almost sherry-like character, with ripe cassis evolving into dark, sweet currants layered with baking spices and maple-honey tannins. Rich tones of dark loamy earth and black tea deepen the complexity, while the long, lingering finish echoes with salted crushed almonds, dried dates, and apricot.
From Mark Snyder’s Red Hook Winery comes this Reserve red—a full-bodied, bold expression of Cabernet Franc crafted by Christopher Nicolson with consulting by Napa Valley luminary Robert Foley. Dark black and blue fruits lead the charge, framed by rich loamy earth, savory black olive, and dried violet notes. The tannins are textured and powerful, reminiscent of cinnamon-dusted cocoa powder, resolving in an earthy, lingering finish.
From Mark Snyder’s Red Hook Winery comes this single-vineyard Cabernet Franc, bursting with red cherry and raspberry fruit, rose petal florals, and savory tobacco nuances. The medium- to full-bodied palate layers in smoked paprika, blood orange acidity, and a touch of tangy grapefruit zest. Firm, mineral-laced tannins provide structure and length, ushering in a finish that’s both darkly earthy and brightly mineral. Produced and bottled at Red Hook Winery by Christopher Nicolson with consulting by Robert Foley.
The 2023 Standing Stone by Hermann J. Wiemer Teinturier Collection Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Rosé is made entirely from Saperavi. It opens with vibrant strawberry aromatics and delivers a lively, frothy mousse. On the palate, crisp red berry fruit meets striking acidity, finishing clean, bright, and refreshingly easygoing.
Produced only in the best vintages, this wine offers impressive richness with creamy orchard fruit, fresh French pastry notes, and a beautifully layered nutty complexity. There’s a lengthy, toasty brioche character threaded with flinty minerality, leading to a savory, saline-acid finish. Eight years sur lie lends remarkable depth, yet the wine remains strikingly fresh and balanced on the long, inviting close. Disgorged 8.31.23 and 4.14.24. Dosage: 6 g/L.
Sustainably grown across three vineyard sites totaling forty acres on the North Fork of Long Island. This sparkling wine showcases rich cherry fruit layered with generous baking spice character and a fabulously creamy mousse that lingers beautifully on the midpalate. A lovely chalky mineral streak provides lift and structure to the luxurious texture.
Beautifully crisp and rich, with baked orchard fruit and a frothy, airy mousse that remains bright and focused. A long, lingering saline-acid tension brings nutty undertones to the forefront, melding into a Sherry-like aromatic richness with perfectly balanced energy on the extended finish. Absolutely fantastic—and a must-have with oysters and mignonette. 100% Chardonnay, sourced exclusively from Boisseau Vineyard, a 2.2-acre site located just a few miles east of the winery and tasting house. The base wine spent four months in demi-muid French oak barrels before bottling, adding subtle texture and nuance. Aged five years sur lie and disgorged on 12.6.23, this wine reveals refined complexity and depth. Dosage: 6 g/L.
