The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
The Great Places Ruben Solorzano Syrah comes from a one-acre block planted to Sérine cuttings from Rostain’s Côte Blonde, propagated in 2006. Fermentation is done with native yeasts in stainless steel, using two-thirds whole cluster. The wine is focused on free-run juice and aged for 18 months in neutral 500-liter puncheons. I tasted this with Ruben Solorzano and asked him what he thinks of the wine. He smiled and said he loves the name—and the mid-palate. And it’s true: the mid-palate is wonderfully expressive, bursting with juicy, plump fruit, layered spice, and gorgeously powdery tannins that carry a cocoa powder texture. Rich blue fruit and violets are backed by volcanic crushed rock minerality. The finish goes on and on. It’s a wine with great density, yet it floats—light on its feet.
These are the Clape Reynard plantings from 1903. In 2013, 50 cuttings were brought over—49 were planted individually, while the 50th became the mother vine, planted at the highest elevation in the northeast corner of a 10-acre block with a planting density of 6,000 vines per acre. This wine includes fruit from within the interior of that mother vine. The first vintage was 2017, with 2018 marking the first commercial release. It was native fermented in stainless steel with two-thirds whole clusters, then pressed to barrel—mostly free-run juice—aged for 18 months in neutral 500-liter puncheons. This is a bold, powerful wine, yet it carries an elegant intensity. The complexity begins in the perfume: rose petals, violets, and white pepper rise from the glass, building into a full-bodied palate framed by mineral-laced, meaty tannins with a fine granularity. Blue fruits and blood orange acidity carry through the core, while more floral perfume unfurls on the long, layered finish.
Named after Pete Stolpman’s wife, Jessica, this wine is sourced from Les Grandes Places Serine, with the inaugural vintage in 2022. It was native fermented in stainless steel with two-thirds whole cluster, and aged for 18 months in two neutral 500-liter puncheons—mostly from free-run juice. This is an intensely concentrated wine, bursting with pure dark berry fruit and layered spice. The tannins are powerful and robust yet beautifully integrated, with a velvety quality. High-toned violets, mulberry, and mouth-gripping acidity give the wine remarkable freshness and drive. Exceptionally expressive and focused, with excellent depth of fruit and a precise, laser-like finish.
About 50% whole cluster, this Syrah is native fermented in concrete and aged for 11 months in neutral 500-liter puncheons. It’s sourced entirely from the winery’s own-rooted Syrah blocks. This is one of the finest California Syrahs under $40 you’re likely to encounter. It brims with coiled energy and delivers super expressive red and blackberry fruit, with blue fruit nuances woven into a tapestry of brown baking spices, clove, incense, violets, and crushed stone. Medium-bodied with powerful, expressive tannins that resolve into a powdery texture, the wine finishes with fragrant wild herbs. Gorgeous and layered from start to finish.
L’Avion is the tête de cuvée of the estate’s white wine program, fermented and aged for 19 months in all new 500-liter puncheons. From its beautiful orange-hued golden color emerges a deeply expressive wine, with aromas of honeycomb, wildflowers, and chamomile. The silky palate is laser-focused, driven by vibrant saline acidity that carries through a long, lingering finish. Elegant, precise, and quietly powerful.
Hair of the Bear—an old trapper term—was the perfect name for this wine, says Pete Stolpman, because Petite Sirah is the ultimate California grape, and this is its ultimate California expression. And it truly is. Super approachable, it bursts with rich, lavish dark berry fruit that moves from black to blue, accented by rose petals, violet, and a hint of rose stem. Bright blood orange acidity adds lift, while powerful, chunky tannins bring grip and structure. It’s a wine of unapologetic power and grit, yet it’s fruit-forward, expressive, and overflowing with juicy dark fruit.
There’s a great story about the planting of this Sangiovese—and it involves Pete Stolpman’s dad, Tom Stolpman, suing the Vatican. Ask Pete about it, or if you see Tom around Santa Ynez or Los Olivos, ask him yourself. The vines were planted in 1994 after the case was settled. Aged for 19 months in neutral 500-liter French oak puncheons, the wine is super bright and fruit-forward now, though it will eventually develop more of that leather and tobacco character with age. For the moment, it’s all about vibrant red fruit and zesty lift, framed by grippy, youthful tannins that could use a bit of time to mellow. A total crowd-pleaser.
Sourced from the own-rooted Syrah blocks surrounding the estate house—named Villa Angeli, after relatives on Pete Stolpman’s mother’s side—this wine is fermented with two-thirds whole cluster in concrete and aged for 15 months in neutral 500-liter puncheons. The aromatics are initially subtle, needing a bit of swirling to unlock layers of brambly blackberry and red cherry fruit, along with high-toned violets and rose petals. On the palate, the wine delivers super powerful, robust tannins with a muscularity that builds and builds—soaring skyward before resolving into juicy blue fruit and intense graphite on the finish. A brooding, structured Syrah with incredible lift and presence.
The La Cuadrilla gives back to the vineyard workers. This is a collection of so many lots, free run, gentle press, and serves as a stamp of each vintage, says Pete Stolpman,. Femrernedin concerte with 20-30% whoel cluster, and aged in neutral 500-liter pucnhoens and bottled after 10 month. As such it is an expressive, red cherry and blackberry fuited win with loads of juicy fruit character, cola spices, and ripe sinewy tannisn that are broad shouldreed and resolve with whtie pepper and black truffle nuances. It’s one of the most rfeind expression of this bottling I have tasted in years. It’s on a great track.
A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Roussanne, this is crafted as a full-bodied white. The richness of the Roussanne provides depth and texture, while the Chardonnay—picked early—adds layers of sea spray minerality and lemon-bright acid tension. Talk about a perfect sushi wine—vibrant, structured, and mouthwatering.
Woah—this is seriously delicious. Super savory, with notes of black olive, dried thyme, and orange peel, accented by hints of woodsmoke and incense. The tannins are soaring, building across the palate into a lengthy, meaty finish—like the flesh of a perfectly cured green olive. White pepper, wet slate, and pressed flowers linger on the finish, adding nuance and complexity.
A blend of 70% Gamay and 30% Trousseau, fermented with whole bunches and whole berries to create an expressive, slightly oxidative mid-palate. It’s tactile and vibrant, with rich watermelon and watermelon candy notes, balanced by tart Granny Smith apple and a splash of Jolly Rancher on the long, fruity finish.
So Fresh is a skin-contact blend of 40% Pinot Gris, 34% Tocai Friulano, 18% Gewürztraminer, and 8% Orange Muscat. It’s super tropical, bursting with exotic fruit, yet balanced by intriguing notes of black licorice and dried wild herbs that lend a savory intensity. Expressive, layered, and far from ordinary.
A combination of grapes sourced from Los Olivos and the Santa Barbara Highlands within the Cuyama Valley in the northeastern part of the county at higher elevations, around 3,200 feet. Carbonic fermentation. It leads with bright strawberry and watermelon notes, unfolding on a soft, silky palate. The finish is long and elegant, with chalky minerality, balanced tension, and lingering flavors of cherry and white peach.
A very pretty and elegant red-fruited Pinot Noir, this wine opens with fragrant aromas of baking spices, espresso bean, clove, and a delicate touch of coriander. Juicy blood orange acidity brings lift and vibrancy, framing a lengthy, nuanced finish marked by pink sea salt and gentle, well-integrated tannins.
This Pinot Noir spent 17 months on the lees in 50% new French oak, and as of May 2025, it’s showing beautifully—squarely in its prime. Fragrant notes of black tea and Earl Grey mingle seamlessly with ripe cherry, dusty minerality, and undertones of tobacco and bay laurel. The tannins are sweet-sappy and glide effortlessly across the palate, resolving into a savory, mineral-laced finish accented by pink Himalayan sea salt and a lift of blood orange zest.
This is a thoroughly inviting Sangiovese—not trying to mimic Tuscany, but proudly rooted in the wild, sun-soaked landscapes of Santa Barbara County. Ripe cherry and blackberry fruit lead the way, wrapped in notes of dried tobacco leaf. The palate is defined by pixelated tannins that gently grip and scatter across the tongue, ultimately resolving into a juicy, tangy acid tension,
Like a glassful of crunchy, juicy kumquats dusted with crushed almonds and a hint of wildflower honey, this white wine is framed by soaring lime-bright acidity that electrifies the palate. The finish is all candied citrus peel and crushed rock minerality—zesty, bracing, and undeniably vibrant. If you don’t serve it with oysters, you’re missing a golden opportunity.
