The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Wonderfully fragrant, fresh, and inviting, with notes of rose petal and incense layered over blackberry and blood orange. Medium-bodied on the palate, it carries a terrific thread of saline acidity, staying beautifully focused and juicy through a lengthy, brown-baking-spice finish. The fine tannins in Troubadour often show a black tea quality. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Bush Crispo Vineyards. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.9% alcohol.
This medium-bodied Pinot Noir shows wonderfully bright, crunchy red fruit layered with blackberry and hints of sassafras. Nuances of white pepper add lift while black-tea-like tannins are beautifully resolved, underscored by saline minerality and blood orange acidity. Fresh and lifted. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate (Paul Hobb’s estate), Little Boot, and Graham Vineyards. Average of 35% whole cluster fermented with native yeast in open top tanks, aged 16 months in fine French oak. ($150) 13.8% alcohol.
This rosé is crafted from grapes sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Gently destemmed berries are macerated overnight before pressing, combined with a saignée portion, drawn from Pinot Noir fermentations after 12–24 hours. The juices ferment separately to dryness in stainless steel with carefully selected yeasts, with malolactic fermentation suppressed to preserve freshness and vibrancy. Bottled unfined with minimal sulfur. As such, there is a nice, dark color, almost the color of Aperol, and very lovely notes of blood orange, grapefruit, and tangerine, with white peach. A silky mid-palate is balanced by a firm spine of saline acidity through the bone-dry finish, nuanced by sagebrush and rose petal florals.
Grapes are hand-sorted and destemmed, and whole berries are native yeast fermented with daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. It is aged 17 months in 13% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Quite shy on the nose, offering crunchy red berry fruit, crisp apple skin tannins, tangy, blood orange acidity, and subtle sea salt and wet slate notes resonating throughout this medium-bodied, zesty Pinot Noir.
This wine is crafted using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. Aged in French oak (38% new, 62% two-year) from cooperages including Cadus, Damy, Billon, François Frères, and Seguin Moreau, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO₂ (13.5% ABV). Plenty to love about this Pinot Noir, from its medium-bodied appeal to its velvety-silky textures, bolstered by good firm, yet plump and juicy tannin. The softness is surely from the time ageing, as this is a 2021 release, hitting the market some five years after harvest. It’s really quite a pleasant and easy-drinking sipper finishing with some Graham cracker crust spice and grapefruit and blood orange zest.
Grapes are hand-sorted and destemmed, and whole berries are native yeast fermented with daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. It is aged 17 months in French oak (20% new, 20% once-used, 60% two+ year) and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. The wine is quite savory, with a black truffle umami richness and high-toned Asian spice notes of soy and white miso. Earl Grey tea tannins are firm, yet inviting. A cascade of darker umami-laced fruit glides across the palate. The finish is medium-length and dry.
This wine is produced using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and aged 17 months in French oak before a single racking prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Intriguing in its super savory core of dark, candied cherry fruit, hoisin, espresso bean, loamy earth, and flamed orange peel. Quite delicious, velvety, and layered with more umami spice and richness, made fleshier by plump tannins and gentle acidity. Long and juicy.
This wine is crafted using a minimal-intervention approach beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and aged 17 months in French oak, undergoing native malolactic fermentation and minimal handling before bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO₂ (13.5% ABV). Nicely suave, velvety, with red berry fruits and elegant notes of cedarwood, rose hip, and crushed cocoa nibs, with tart blood orange acidity on the lengthy, perfumed, medium-bodied finish.
Winemaker Shalini Sekhar produced this Chardonnay from a single vineyard block of Dijon Clone 76 using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with gentle whole-cluster pressing. Fermented in mostly neutral French oak with carefully selected yeasts and no malolactic fermentation. Aged 10 months in French oak and stainless steel and bottled with minimal sulfur. This is one serious Chardonnay, satiny through and through, balanced by crisp apple and pear notes, a firm spine of ultra-juicy acidity, and beautifully pure and vivid citrus and orchard fruits, leaning into stone from the bouquet through the slightly salty finish. Lush and supple mid-core, with excellent fruit weight.
Winemaker Shalini Sekhar crafts this Chardonnay using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with gentle whole-cluster pressing and fermentation in French oak with carefully selected yeasts. Each Chardonnay clone is vinified and aged separately, with partial malolactic fermentation for balance between depth and freshness. Aged 10 months in French oak and stainless steel and bottled with minimal SO₂, the wine comes from certified sustainably farmed vineyards. Wonderfully high-toned, offering lemony-bright notes, hints of baking spice, lime zest, and lemon cream. Focused, energetic, with zesty acidity, wet river stone minerality, crushed sea salt, and a crisp, bone-dry finish.
Gorgeous and full-flavored. Violets. White pepper and mulberry. Dusty red rock minerality. Stunning concentration. Blue-black fruit notes, warm Asian spices. Ultra-fine tannins with some mineral intensity. Ultra compact. Wet slate and petrichor. Impressive length. Fresh and lifted from a firm spine of acid tension. This 100% Malbec was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak.
A delicate, yet delicious Pinot framed by cherry, raspberry, and strawberry panna cotta notes, luscious and creamy with warm pie spice notes layering complexity into this otherwise pure-fruited, bright, and decadent wine. This 100% Pinot Noir was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 100% French oak (50% new).
A full-flavored and expressive Grenache with real gorgeous perfumed violet interlaced with raspberries and vanilla. Red fruit leather. Brown spices and super fine velvety tannins. Long and lovely. This 100% Grenache was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 33% new French oak.
Wonderfully bright and medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir with a fabulously creamy texture. Wet river stone. Rose petals, cherry, and cherry pit. Beautiful fine tannins that are polished and infused with cedar wood spices and a dusting of cocoa powder. Juicy, fragrant, and with an irresistibly succulent finish that is so perfumed. This 100% Pinot Noir was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 10 months in 100% neutral French oak.
Lemon, limes, sea spray, and lime blossoms. Medium bodied with luscious citrus and orchard fruit. Positively vibrant acidity that is saline-laced, finishing with beeswax and apple blossoms. Fragrant, energetic, silky, and focused with scintillating tension. All the things! This 100% Albariño was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County, overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 10 months in 60% concrete egg, 40% neutral French oak.
Beautifully expressive, layered, richly textured, yet vibrant and mineral-rich. Super fresh aromatics of citrus peel, lime blossoms, jasmine, and honeysuckle find their footing on the palate, as slick, lemon-oil, balanced by oyster shell minerality and richer notes of apricot, candied ginger, and quince. This 100% Chardonnay was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 100% new French Oak.
Beautifully lean and focused in this vintage, with chalky mineral notes underscoring honeysuckle, a hint of vanilla, and notes of green apple, apricot, white peach, and finishing with fragrant white florals. From the Five Tails Vineyard in Oregon’s Applegate Valley. Stainless fermentation, limited skin contact. About 500 bottles were produced.
This single clone of Tempranillo underwent a gentle maceration and was aged 18 months in French Oak. It’s downright delicious. Great velvety texture, fine-grained tannins, loads of cherry and dried strawberry fruits, dark chocolate, fragrant and sweet-spiced oak notes, great mid-palate concentration, and a long, balanced, satisfying finish.
Farmed by Brian Gruber, the Grenache produces small berries with loose clusters, leading to excellent concentration in 2021. Aged 18 months in French Oak. Two barrels produced. Quite spicy on the nose, filling the senses with sagebrush, cinnamon, and black tea. Great fruit weight with a velvety texture, dark-berry fruit is rich and succulent, and the finish is long, earthy, and enticing.
Such an interesting rendition of Zinfandel, and unlikely to be re-created. The fruit was left on vine, due to fire evacuation, and winemaker Ben Grable ended up harvesting ‘raisins’, which, with careful work in the cellar, led to this 126-case production of deeply-concentrated red, with dried cherry, fig, and plum fruits, sweet brown spices, and a spicy finish. It’s a bold, full-flavored, full-bodied red at 16.7% alcohol, so I suggest enjoying a glass chilled, and marinating pulled pork in the rest. If you’re into bold-flavoured, high-octaine Zin, just keep drinking.
