The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
This is a bright, focused wine with sea spray aromatics and delicate red berry fruit. On the palate, it’s charged with salty, chalky minerality, notes of grapefruit zest and kumquat, and a gorgeous lift of florals that fuel a lengthy, energetic finish. There’s plenty of tension and vibrancy throughout. 2024 is regarded as a fantastic vintage in the region, and that’s on dissplay with this wine. Aged on fine lees for two months to build texture, and malolactic fermentation was avoided to preserve acidity.
What a wine. Sourced from small, hand-picked blocks within the Harbes and Soloviev vineyards on Long Island’s North Fork, and aged on fine lees for two months, this is a fantastic and weighty expression of Chenin Blanc. Vibrant citrus and apricot notes lead the way, followed by a subtle honeyed richness that emerges at the core. A firm spine of lime-bright acidity drives the wine, finishing with vivid saline-mineral tension and a building, mouthwatering spice. Clean, crisp, energetic, and laser-focused.
This Cabernet Franc is a blend of multiple handpicked lots, matured in a mix of barrique barrels, upright oak tank, and stainless steel. Elegant red berry fruit mingles with rich spice and savoury complexity. On the palate, soaring tannins and medium-bodied intensity are lifted by a wet slate mineral edge and a hint of sweet cedarwood that balances the wine’s savoury core.
This is a bright, zesty white driven by tropical fruit, with notes of papaya and mango building toward a fleshy mid-palate. But just as it settles into richness, laser-focused acidity kicks in—crisp, crunchy, and cleansing—making this the ideal food wine. It’s your go-to with oysters or roast chicken and potatoes, cutting through fat with razor-sharp tension. This is 100% Trebbiano, a variety well suited to the growing conditions of Long Island’s East End, aged on fine lees for three months, with malolactic fermentation entirely avoided. Just 442 cases produced.
This Pineau de Charentes–style wine is made from Cabernet Franc, originally fermented as a rosé before being fortified with grape brandy and aged in neutral American oak for seven years. The result is reminiscent of a Tawny Port, with bright hazelnut and red cherry notes, lifted by a vivid spine of acidity. Lush and complex, it also shows layers of bruised and baked apples, apricots, and honeycomb. Delcious—and rather exceiting.
A white Port-style wine made from Vignoles, aged in “wet” used bourbon barrels from Tuthilltown. It offers gorgeous aromas of toasted hazelnuts, orange blossom, poached apples and pears, with a touch of honeyed maple sweetness. Rich and warming, it’s a perfect pairing for Fall desserts—think apples, flan, cheese, or a slice of apple pie.
Traditional method rosé. This is a vividly red-fruited sparkling wine with a bright, frothy mousse and crunchy red berry, plum, and white cherry notes. A subtle salinity and touch of baking spice carry through the lengthy finish. Composed mostly of free-run juice, the wine spends up to two years en tirage, with a dosage of approximately 4.5 g/L.
Sourced from three acres of Cabernet Franc at Olana Vineyard, planted in 2015–2016 on steep, gravelly Knickerbocker soils along the Hudson River. Two clones (317 and 214) are fermented separately with partial stem inclusion in open-top fermenters, then aged for 16 months in Hungarian oak barrels and puncheons. The wine is polished and structured, delivering concentrated dark berry fruit, cedar-laced tannins, and tangy blood orange acidity. Medium- to full-bodied, it finishes with satiny richness, layered baking spices, and a wet slate minerality.
From Whitecliff Vineyard’s home estate-grown Traminette, this is pressed into stainless steel and fermented with native yeasts, then is allowed to ferment slowly until it hits the numbers winemaker Brad Martz is targeting—leaving enough residual sugar to complete fermentation in bottle. Disgorged to remove heavy lees, then recapped. It opens with bright apple and lifted baking spice, followed by a super frothy, assertive mousse that resolves through layers of white rose, orange oil, lychee, and a touch of grapefruit zest. Clean, zippy, and zingy.
Sourced from estate-grown Vidal Blanc from the Whitecliff Vineyard home estate. Pressed into stainless steel and fermented with native yeasts, the wine is allowed to ferment as long as needed to reach the numbers winemaker Brad Martz targets—leaving enough residual sugar to complete fermentation in bottle. It’s then disgorged to remove the heavy lees and recapped. The result is a clean, bright pét-nat with notes of chamomile, yellow apple, and white flowers. The mousse is rich, creamy, and finely textured, leading to a bone-dry, acid-driven finish. Easy-drinking and elegant—really lovely.
A blend of estate-grown fruit and grapes sourced from grower partner Fino Farms, where vineyards are interplanted with apples and other orchard crops. One of my favorite hybrid whites from this producer, it’s fermented in stainless steel and offers vibrant orchard fruit and apricot notes, with a subtle flinty minerality and a touch of baking spice. The medium-bodied palate has a hint of silkiness at the core, finishing with underripe pineapple and apricot, lifted by a spritz of lime-bright acidity. Balanced, clean, and zesty.
An extremely bold and aromatic semi-dry white wine, with residual sugar impressively balanced by vibrant acidity. It opens with poached pear and fleshy McIntosh apple, layered with hints of rose stem and lychee. A panoply of baking spice—coriander, cumin, and subtle warmth—adds depth and intrigue. A natural pairing for Indian or Asian cuisine.
A blend of Seyval Blanc and Vignoles, this semi-dry white is named after Lake Awosting in the Shawangunk Mountains. Medium-bodied, with floral lift and ripe orchard fruit, it shows a touch of sweetness balanced by incredibly bright, saline-laced acidity. The finish is marked by a wet stone minerality.
The 2020 Noble Select Riesling from Weis Vineyards is absolutely riveting. This wine opens with honeycomb and a hint of hibiscus, followed by luscious layers of candied apricot and orange oil. The palate is lush, silky, and full-bodied, culminating in a masterful finish with notes of chamomile and a return of that deep, honeyed richness.
This is the 2021 Winzer Select Edel Süss Riesling from the Finger Lakes, made from grapes grown in limestone soils near Genga on the northern end of Seneca Lake. With 10% ABV and around 90 g/L of residual sugar, it’s gorgeously tense, balancing sweetness with precision. The mid-palate shows satiny richness with notes of candied apricot and pressed wildflowers, leading into an epically long, building finish.
Winemaker Hans Peter Weis sources most of his reds from vineyards along the middle to northern stretches of Seneca Lake. He prefers a cold soak to delay fermentation, typically inoculating after three to four days. In cooler years, picking happens as late as possible—just before the leaves fall. After 10 days of fermentation in open-top fermenters or stainless steel, the wine is aged for 24 months in barrel, including up to 15% new French oak. The result is an elegant wine with red berry fruit, fine brown spices, and a hint of espresso, with conifer notes emerging as it opens. Tannins show an apple-skin texture—ripe yet firm—leading to a finish of red cherry and cherry pit. The 2024 vintage, also tasted, is deeper and more expressive, with bold flavors, grippy tannins, and a strong sense of energy and tension.
Peter sources most of his reds from vineyards along the middle to northern stretches of Seneca Lake. He prefers a cold soak to delay fermentation, typically inoculating after three to four days. In cooler years, picking happens as late as possible—just before the leaves fall. After 10 days of fermentation in open-top fermenters or stainless steel, the wine is aged for 24 months in barrel, including up to 15% new French oak. The result is an elegant wine with red berry fruit, fine brown spices, and a hint of espresso, with conifer notes emerging as it opens. Tannins show an apple-skin texture—ripe yet firm—leading to a finish of red cherry and cherry pit. The 2024 vintage, also tasted, is deeper and more expressive, with bold flavors, grippy tannins, and a strong sense of energy and tension.
