The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Made entirely from Pinot Noir, this spent 42 months en tirage and was disgorged on September 4, 2024. Whole clusters were gently pressed and fermented slowly and coolly over five weeks, then aged in tank for nine months before bottling. The result is a sparkling wine with a gorgeously frothy, creamy mousse and elegant red berry fruit. Medium-bodied, bright, and expressive, it finishes with a fantastic rush of saline minerality that adds precision and lift to all that supple texture and energy.
100% Cabernet Franc, destemmed with a 15-day maceration on the skins, then aged 15 months in neutral French oak. This is a powerful, black-fruited expression layered with red berry brightness, black olive, and a dusting of cocoa powder. Firm, taut, mineral-laced tannins provide structure, while the finish lingers with wild herbs and dusty, grippy nuances that underscore the wine’s depth and seriousness.
Sourced from a property acquired in 2009, this Cabernet Franc was fermented with 25% whole clusters using native yeasts, with a 21-day maceration. Twenty percent of the lot underwent carbonic maceration in a separate tank before pressing and blending. Aged six months in stainless steel, the wine is spicy, grippy, and tightly wound, with a perfumed mid-palate of red cherry and rose petal. It finishes with savoury wild herb notes and impressive length.
The fruit for this wine was destemmed and left on skins for six hours before a gentle press and long, cool fermentation finished in bottle. Bottled undisgorged on December 11, 2023. Wildly juicy and fruit-forward, this pét-nat bursts with red berries and grapefruit zest. The mousse is crisp and zippy, giving way to a bone-dry finish that delivers mouthwatering freshness and all the bright, vibrant fruit you could hope for.
Destemmed and gently pressed, this Cabernet Franc underwent a slow, low-temperature fermentation throughout harvest before being racked and bottled on December 11, 2024, to complete fermentation in bottle. Left undisgorged, it shows off a fantastically creamy, frothy mousse that lifts ripe melon fruit and drives the wine’s energetic profile. Don’t ask how they pulled it off—but this is easily one of the cleanest, most expressive pét-nats I’ve tasted from New York State.
100% destemmed with a 14-day maceration and full malolactic conversion, this Cabernet Franc was aged for seven months in concrete eggs. Easily one of the most refined and polished examples I’ve tasted from New York State, it’s gorgeously perfumed with ripe cherry, black raspberry, and floral top notes. Chalky mineral tones add dimension, while the full-bodied palate dazzles with tension, clarity, and length. Clean, expressive, and varietally true, it balances brightness and elegance in riveting fashion. The lees contact from the egg aging brings subtle texture without weight—this is a stunner.
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc clones and vineyard blocks, fermented and aged in stainless steel with selective lees contact and partial malolactic fermentation. This is a bracing, crisp, and steely expression of the variety, with subtle notes of sea grass and a long, mouthwatering finish that channels sea spray and crushed minerals.
Sourced from Patrician Verona Vineyards on the west side of Cayuga Lake, this wild ferment, unfined and unfiltered Pinot Noir was partially fermented in neutral French oak, then crafted in the traditional Champagne method with no dosage (in a Brut Nature style). Crunchy red berry fruit builds in the glass alongside cherry pit and French pastry nuances, leading to a bright, saline-acid finish. The palate is frothy and airy, with a lifted, easy-going charm.
This Marquette (a French-American hybrid) was sourced from Doyle Vineyards on the west side of Keuka Lake, where it tends to ripen early. Pressed off skins and fermented with native yeast, the wine was aged in neutral French oak for 20 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. There’s a wild, sauvage-like character here that sets it apart—tangy and tart red fruit layered with smoky mineral tones, dried flowers, and a distinct sweet herbal-tea quality. Made in a natural style, this wine asks for a curious, open-minded palate.
A blend of 60% Vidal, 23% Cayuga White fermented on Aromella skins, and 15% Vidal fermented on Traminette skins, with a splash (2%) of Gewürztraminer, this is the winery’s expressive take on an orange wine. Grapes were sourced from vineyards on the west sides of Keuka and Cayuga Lakes in the Finger Lakes. Fermented wild, aged for 20 months in neutral French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, the wine leads with lifted aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, kiwi, and green apple, accented by green olive savouriness. There’s racy acidity and steely tension on the finish, along with a subtle effervescence.
Dynamic and full of classic Riesling character, this traditional method sparkling wine delivers bright lemon-lime fruit, crunchy pear, and green apple carried by one of the frothiest, most lifted mousses that I encountered—ethereal and airy. Sourced from Clone 198 vines at the sustainably certified, two-acre Yellow Dog Vineyard in the Seneca Lake AVA, the wine was hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, and left en tirage for four years before disgorgement. It finishes dry, with just a whisper of fruit sweetness, leaving a lasting, lovely impression.
The fruit for this traditional method sparkling wine was sourced from Clone 4 vines in our Terra West Vineyard, a 5-acre sustainably certified estate in the Seneca Lake AVA. Hand-harvested and whole cluster pressed, the base cuvée underwent primary fermentation in stainless steel before aging on the lees for 12 months. The wine was then aged en tirage for 4.5 years prior to disgorgement. It offers a fantastic mouthfeel with a rich, airy, frothy mousse and layers of tangerine peel, lime pith, and zesty lemon, with subtle baking spice notes on the bright, clean finish.
A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, this méthode champenoise sparkler is sourced from sustainably certified estate vineyards in the Seneca Lake AVA—Chardonnay Clone #4 from Terra West Vineyard and Pinot Noir from Round Rock Vineyard. Hand-harvested and whole cluster pressed, each variety was fermented separately and aged for 12 months in stainless steel before blending and spending 4.5 years en tirage. Steely mineral aromatics frame crunchy apple and pear notes, underpinned by saline-acid tension and an assertive yet focused mousse that resolves in a bone-dry, precise finish.
Brambly red berry fruit mingles with cedarwood, brown baking spices, vanilla-coriander cream, and espresso bean aromatics. The palate echoes these notes, with juicy red fruit layered against a frame of elongated, beam-like tannins that lend structure and focus. A firm streak of racy acidity provides lift and tension through the long finish. Sourced from Clone #1 vines in the MJW Vineyard—a 23-acre sustainably certified estate site in the Seneca Lake AVA—utilizing whole-berry, semi-carbonic fermentation.
Fruit was sourced from Miles Vineyards, located 15 miles north of Lakewood on the west side of Seneca Lake. Fermented on the skins for 14 days with partial malolactic conversion, the wine was aged on moderate lees in 60-gallon French oak barrels for 24 months. Fragrant cherry fruit mingles with sandalwood nuances, a kiss of cinnamon, and smoky clove. Medium-bodied, with a spicy smoked paprika intensity and fine, firm tannins that carry notes of green tobacco and black tea. Saline-driven acidity fuels the juicy finish.
Fruit was sourced from Glenora Farms, located five miles north of Lakewood Vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake. Crafted entirely from free-run juice, the wine underwent primary fermentation in stainless steel. Bottled in May 2021 and disgorged in November 2024, this is a full-bodied and richly decadent sparkler. Baked orchard fruit, cherry pie, and cherry pit notes mingle with creamy apricot and honeyed almonds, all framed by a frothy, opulent mousse. The finish is bone-dry and crisp.
Fruit was sourced from Glenora Farms on the west side of Seneca Lake and Don Peek’s vineyard on the west side of Keuka Lake. Fermented dry on the skins in small bins with 3–4 hand punchdowns daily, the wine was then pressed and transferred to 60-gallon barrels—predominantly French oak—where it remained until bottling in August 2024. Bright notes of cherry and cranberry leap from the glass, accented by espresso bean and a perfumed core of red fruit dusted with rose powder. Fine-grained, structured tannins provide a firm foundation for the juicy, spicy fruit to build toward a lengthy, saline-scented, and earth-toned finish.
Sourced from Lakewood Farm (certified sustainable) and three other long-time growers on the west side of Seneca Lake, this sparkling wine is produced exclusively from free-run juice. Carbonated and bottled on site, it’s also available in 187ml bottles and kegs for wholesale. It offers impressive complexity for the price, with notes of citrus peel, white flowers, and ripe apricot layered over a subtle French pastry character.
This is a super bright, floral, and expressive wine, bursting with wildflower honey, jasmine, and candied kiwi fruit. Medium- to full-bodied with a lovely interplay of acid tension and subtle sweetness. Never cloying or overdone, it finishes with a gorgeous honeyed richness wrapped around white peaches and golden cherries. The perfect wine to pair with a cheese plate—think salted cheeses with a dollop of honey. Serve nicely chilled, but not too cold, so you don’t mute the vibrant florality. 65% estate fruit (certified sustainable) and 35% from Lahoma Vineyard, fermented in stainless steel.
Made from 100% estate-grown Cabernet Franc fermented in 1-ton open-top bins with twice-daily punchdowns, this red also includes 14% Merlot sourced from Seneca Lake. After pressing, the wine completed malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels (15% new) with weekly bâtonnage, and was aged for 18 months. Focused and fresh, it opens with bright cherry and raspberry fruit, cedarwood nuances, and fine-grained tannins that carry a velvety quality across the juicy, crunchy-acid finish.
