The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
A vibrant, alluring, white crafted by Katy Wilson, this low production (140 cases) delight shows a fantastic middle palate of zippy acidity and floral tones. Vibrant citrus, lemon zest, melon, and white blossoms all make appearances on the nose and the palate. This is begging to be matched up with delicate seafood. – J.R.
This small, organically farmed vineyard sits near Occidental, enjoying morning fog and the area’s famous Goldridge soils. Aged 13 months in 35% new French oak, it’s crafted from Calera and Romanee clones and exhibits some distinctly Burgundian flair. Mint, rhubarb, ripe cherries, cinnamon, and black tea leaf aromas lead the charge. The palate starts silky but has grip, texture, and structure to match its perky acidity. Carefully well-made, it’s classy, excellent, and will get even better with some cellaring. – J.R.
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.
60% whole cluster pressing gives this charming, bouyant Gamay a cheerful lift. It’s bright and fruity, packed with aromas and flavors of cranberries, cherry, berry compote, and lavender florals. While undeniably fun, there’s richness to the ripe fruit flavor, and elegance to the tightly wound acid core. Delightful. – J.R.
Blended from Arroyo Secco and Santa Lucia Highlands fruit, this blend provides a lovely, fruity take on Alsatian-inspired whites. Dominated by ripe citrus and tropical fruit flavors, this is a floral and inviting sipper with piquant acidity and a pleasant hint of astringent structure that wraps the palate up almost like a neat little decorative bow. – J.R.
This Sauvignon Blanc shows a richer profile, with toasty oak and vanilla mingling with yellow apple and lemon curd—almost more of a Chardonnay-like nose, which some people will love. On the palate, it’s laser-focused and racy, with a nice breadth of texture and juicy orchard fruit structure. Barrel aging included 12% new Saury oak, 16% used, and 72% stainless steel, along with seven months of lees stirring, all of which contribute to the wine’s flattering richness. Adolfo Hernandez explained his background and winemaking style to me as follows: “I was the enologist and then assistant winemaker at Eisele Vineyard, splitting my time—two years each—between the Araujos and Château Latour. From there, I spent a year with Martha McClellan at Checkerboard, where we also made her gorgeous Levy & McClellan wines. In 2017, I started as associate winemaker at Benovia in the Russian River Valley with Mike Sullivan, where I’m happily still working today.”
This 2022 Monroy Wines Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Kick Ranch, a 40-acre vineyard on the western slope of Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas Mountains, within the Fountaingrove District of Sonoma, where vines grow in iron-rich soils—and that mineral quality remains evident, even with the riper fruit character brought on by the warmer vintage. The oak is a bit more pronounced in 2022, yet the palate is utterly charming, leaning into dark fruit tones of black raspberry, balsamic strawberry, dark chocolate, and cherry. It’s more fruit-driven and less earthy than the 2021, but equally joyful to drink, with fine, powdery tannins that build a bit with some grip but land softly through a graceful finish. A very nice wine from the challenging 2022 vintage from Adolfo Hernandez who explained his background and winemaking style to me as follows: “I was the enologist and then assistant winemaker at Eisele Vineyard, splitting my time—two years each—between the Araujos and Château Latour. From there, I spent a year with Martha McClellan at Checkerboard, where we also made her gorgeous Levy & McClellan wines. In 2017, I started as associate winemaker at Benovia in the Russian River Valley with Mike Sullivan, where I’m happily still working today. I now make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Benovia while also producing wines under my own Monroy label. I focus on crafting cooler-climate style Cabernet Sauvignon that emphasizes floral and savory notes. All fermentations are done in barrel via closed-head rolling macerations, which I cooper myself. Barrel fermentation gives richness and density to the wines without the need to blend or harvest riper, more bombastic components, and naturally keeps the alcohol levels at or below 14%. I use only French oak, typically around 40% new.”
This 2021 Monroy Wines Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Kick Ranch, a 40-acre vineyard on the western slope of Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas Mountains, within the Fountaingrove District of Sonoma, where vines thrive in iron-rich soils—and that mineral quality is immediately evident on the nose. It’s highly expressive, with notes of iron and crushed stone alongside dark, earthy minerality, forest underbrush, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and blackcurrant and cassis fruit. On the palate, it’s beautifully polished and expressive, with cocoa-powder tannins and a wonderfully seamless finish that echoes the character and depth of the bouquet. A splendid wine from Adolfo Hernandez, who explained his background and winemaking style to me as follows: “I was the enologist and then assistant winemaker at Eisele Vineyard, splitting my time—two years each—between the Araujos and Château Latour. From there, I spent a year with Martha McClellan at Checkerboard, where we also made her gorgeous Levy & McClellan wines. In 2017, I started as associate winemaker at Benovia in the Russian River Valley with Mike Sullivan, where I’m happily still working today. I now make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Benovia while also producing wines under my own Monroy label. I focus on crafting cooler-climate style Cabernet Sauvignon that emphasizes floral and savory notes. All fermentations are done in barrel via closed-head rolling macerations, which I cooper myself. Barrel fermentation gives richness and density to the wines without the need to blend or harvest riper, more bombastic components, and naturally keeps the alcohol levels at or below 14%. I use only French oak, typically around 40% new.”
The Hydra Red Wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Black Ridge Vineyard—an organically farmed, 80-acre site planted at 1,000 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Fermentation was 60% whole cluster (foot-trodden) and 40% destemmed whole berries, with native fermentations on the skins for 11 days, followed by 10 months in neutral 500L oak puncheons. Absolutely gorgeous: ruby-fruited with dark cherry accents, pure, ripe, and electric, layered with exotic brown spices and smoked paprika. Ultra-fine, powdery tannins and wet-stone minerality grip the palate. It’s so satisfying and so delicious you almost can’t believe it.
From the winery’s six-acre Marine Layer Vineyard, planted in 2016 on a southwest-facing slope near Sebastopol, this wine is solid and full-bodied, with aromatic spice from toasty cedarwood (aged in 30% new French oak). Succulent and red-cherry fruited, it carries apple-skin notes and a touch of blondie brownie richness. Absolutely lip-smacking. The blend includes Calera, Mt. Eden, 667, 115, and, according to the winery’s tech sheet, “a few special suitcase selections.”
This wine is positively destructive in its sway over you—bold and ripe, with dark-fruited intensity. Cherry and pomegranate meet rich Earl Grey tea notes, while a touch of ironstone minerality lifts from the glass. Blood orange and its zest cut through, joined by succulent, saline-dusted dark cherry fruit infused with cocoa nibs. The supple mid-palate concentration is hard to beat, leading to a long, cool, wet-slate finish. Just wow. Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard lies in the Green Valley sub-AVA of the Sonoma Coast. Perched on a steep hillside at around 600 feet in elevation, it is planted to both Swan and Calera clones.
Bohemian Vineyard is a 7-acre Pinot Noir site in the Freestone sub-AVA of the Sonoma Coast, planted to a mix of Dijon clones in classic Goldridge soils and exposed to all the cool-climate conditions this area is known for. Yes, yes—terroir talk—but it matters, because it all leads to a dynamic wine layered with crunchy cherry fruit, exotic Indian spices, Earl Grey tea, and rich blood-orange acidity, accented by a touch of grapefruit zest. Super-fine black tea tannins frame the palate, with gorgeous hints of deep forest and underbrush adding dimension. Hand-picked at night, with 20% whole cluster. Cool native ferment, 16 days on the skins. Gravity-drained and lightly pressed, then aged 11 months in 25% new French oak.
Lime-bright with crushed Marcona almonds and a hint of tarragon, this wine builds with laser-focused intensity and mouthwatering salinity that drives the long finish. Pristinely dry and precise, it’s carried by exacting mineral tension. At just 12.8% alcohol, you could drink it all day and all night, though it really demands a multi-course meal—one it will elevate regardless of the chef.
Sourced from Wente and Mt. Eden clones in Durell Vineyard, this Chardonnay offers lovely, ripe, and succulent orchard fruit notes softened by aging in one-third new French oak and neutral oak puncheon, giving the wine a beautifully silky, satiny texture. The oak profile is balanced and subtle, weaving a tapestry of elegant cedar spice around understated tropical fruit tones of white peach, pineapple, and overripe pear. Fine apple-skin tannins carry a gentle sprinkling of salinity, and the wine finishes with excellent energy and length.
