The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
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.
Oh my goodness—just wait until you stick your nose in the glass. As the name suggests, this Chardonnay will romance you (and fool you) into thinking it hails from Burgundy. It doesn’t—it’s pure Sta. Rita Hills—but it delivers all the elegance and tension you’d expect from France. The nose is a stunner: lemon oil, lemon zest, white peach, wet river stone, and that unmistakable crushed oyster shell sea spray character from the region’s diatomaceous-rich soils. And that’s just the beginning. On the palate, it’s broad yet focused, with saline-scented acidity underscoring layers of lemon and tangerine oil. Pressed wildflowers and mineral energy carry the finish, which seems to go on forever.
This Syrah from Zotovich Vineyard was fermented with native yeasts and 100% whole clusters, followed by extended barrel aging—a method that amplifies its aromatic complexity and savory nuance. Intensely perfumed, the nose is a symphony of violets, rose petals, and ripe blueberry dusted with white pepper. Layers of white truffle, green olive, and charcuterie emerge as the wine opens in the glass. Full-bodied and deeply textured, the palate is energized by saline-acid tension, with crushed blackberry, wet slate, and dried thyme all unfolding through a long, savory finish. A flicker of flamed grapefruit peel adds a final aromatic flourish. This is a Syrah that commands attention—complex, captivating, and inviting.
Just nine barrels were produced of this expressive and captivating Pinot Noir, sourced from Rancho La Viña Vineyard. Native yeast fermentation with 100% whole clusters and extended barrel aging lend the wine remarkable complexity and aromatic lift. Black cherry fruit leaps from the glass, laced with incense, smoked paprika, and exotic spice. Finely layered apple-skin tannins provide excellent grip and texture across the mid-palate, while the dark cherry and spice notes carry through an everlasting, savory finish.
This Pinot Noir from Iaon Pohlit, sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills, beautifully lives up to its name—Ocean & Earth—with ripe cherry fruit layered over loamy earth and salty sea spray nuances. Aromatic notes of espresso bean, clove, and rose petal add depth and allure. Mineral-rich, granular tannins frame the medium-bodied palate, building to a lingering finish marked by smoked paprika and savory spice. Delish!
