The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
From the Symingtons’ first project outside of the Douro, this red blend is aged 75% for six months in third and fourth-year 400L French oak. Aromas of toast, ripe blue and black plums, dried violets, black pepper, and green herbs kick things off. In the mouth, youthful fruit and approachable freshness make this instantly appealing, and hints of leather add a nice touch of complexity. – J.R.
A perky, vibrant, jubilant pink, this rose is sourced from Docker Hill (Mendocino County) and Ruxton Vineyard (Russian River Valley), as well as other sites in Green Valley. Hints of roses, hibiscus, underripe melon, wild strawberry, and candied watermelon mingle with flavors of citrus. Everything resolves into a wonderfully mineral, herbal finish. – J.R.
Docker Hill owners Karson and Bill Aubuchon planted their vineyard in 2010 (to Heritage and Dijon clones), and several spots sit above the fog line and are cooler and longer ripening as a result. After aging 17 months in 45% new French oak, this Pinot Noir shows fantastic notes of rhubarb, boysenberry, brambly herbs, violets, and sandalwood. In the mouth, it takes a somewhat darker tone, showing ripe blackberry fruit flavors in intense waves, each topped with earthy truffle notes. It will age very, very well, though it is awfully difficult to refuse now. – J.R.
A jaunty—and lovely—take on one of Portugal’s under-appreciated white varieties (at least in terms of showing off its more sophisticated side), after handpicking this sipper spends three months on the fine lees with regular batonnage. Floral and citric, the jasmine and saline notes show impressive purity, while the palate balances elegance and crunchy acidity in equal measures. – J.R.
Blood oranges, tart cranberries, oak, cinnamon, black cherries, camphor, and fresh green herbs… this red is packing a lot of complexity and elegance on the nose. In the mouth, it shows impressive, savory meatiness, while never once losing its edgy freshness. Aged 15 months on the lees (with 40% new French oak), with just 578 cases made. – J.R.
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.
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.
