The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Totally captivating from the first sniff to the last sip, this Chardonnay opens with a burst of bright oyster shell minerality, layered with lemon zest and yellow apple that evolve into quince and ginger on the palate. Apple skin tannins lend texture and tension to this electric, acid-driven wine. Rich tangerine oil is beautifully balanced by Sta. Rita Hills’ signature lemon-lime brightness and sea spray salinity. A masterful wine—bracing yet rich, structured yet giving. Subtle hints of honeydew and honeycomb emerge on an almost everlasting finish. This should continue to develop wonderfully over the next decade, making it one to savor now or cellar with confidence.
A gorgeously focused Chardonnay, exhibiting remarkable restraint and precision. Lime-bright acidity drives its linear profile, while oyster shell minerality, quince, and ginger weave through with layered nuance. Despite its taut structure, the wine reveals impressive mid-palate density and salinity, delivering both width and depth. It manages the rare feat of combining gravitas with sheer levity.
Bold notes of yellow apple, quince, and apricot lead the charge in this expressive white, lifted by white flowers and honeysuckle aromatics. Medium-bodied, with crunchy apple-driven acidity and a core of crushed salty Marcona almonds, the palate delivers impressive length. Subtle layers of fresh ginger, lemon peel, and chalky minerality emerge on the finish, framed by just a whisper of toasty oak.
To fully appreciate this wine, you need the backstory, as laid out on the back label: “First there was Nuits Blanches, a blue label Chardonnay born from the frustration Jim Clendenen felt toward the critical response for his Chardonnays. It was bold, brash, obvious, and overwhelming. The 2000 vintage XXth Anniversary Chardonnay marked a style reconciliation. The richness and aggressiveness of the Nuits Blanches style would be tempered with the balance, acidity, and complexity of the Au Bon Climat ‘Bouge’ style. Power and elegance. Big entry and persistent finish. This bottling comes from ABC’s Bien Nacido ‘K’ Block Estate, and the Le Bon Climat Estate Vineyard across from the Santa Maria River. Now [the late] Jim can have his toast, and eat with it, too!” And on that note, this toasty, gorgeously focused Chardonnay opens like a morning walk on the beach, sea spray minerality weaving through the air like the scent of just-baked croissants. Lush and supple—like the underbelly of a crashing wave laced with lemon juice and lime zest—it delivers a cascade of white flowers and salted Marcona almonds. There’s a squeeze of tangerine, the bite of kumquat, and a whisper of butterscotch that lingers with subtle, enticing richness. Jim would be proud.
Named after the late Jim Clendenen’s daughter, Isabelle, this wine is a blend of the best barrels from Au Bon Climat’s top vineyard sites. It’s a beautifully fragrant Pinot Noir, with bright pine forest aromatics and deep forest berry character layered with nuances of espresso and pomegranate seed. A tapestry of velvety-textured tannins envelops the palate, carrying juicy cherry, blood orange, and fragrant Indian spices through an extended, graceful finish. Sources for the 2022 include: Bien Nacido (Santa Maria Valley AVA), Rancho La Cuna, Los Alamos Vineyard, Kick on Vineyard (Los Alamos Valley – Santa Barbara County), Talley Vineyard (Arroyo Grande AVA), and Lala Panzi Vineyard (Russian River Valley AVA). These small lots are kept separate throughout fermentation and aging and the final blend is a lot selection of the best barrels.
Tension, tension, tension. This is one of the finest Chardonnays I’ve tasted from this winery—elegant yet electric. Refined aromas of lemon, apricot, and nougat rise gently from the glass, leading into a satiny-textured palate layered with juicy, plump white peach. Slate-stone minerality and sea spray acidity frame the wine with precision, driving a long, mouthwatering finish that hums with energy and finesse.
The 38-acre El Jabali Vineyard—pronounced “el hob-a-lee” and Spanish for “Wild Boar”—is divided into five unique blocks, each with varying slopes and aspects shaped by Pacific Ocean breezes. The 2022 release is one of the most approachable Alma Rosa wines in recent vintages, offering heady aromas of perfumed rose petals, coffee bean spice, and cherry cola. Soft, supple, and silky dark berry fruit envelops the medium-bodied palate, packed with rich toasty oak and layers of baking spices that carry through a long, ironstone-mineral finish.
The ‘B 15 03 RCV MTR’ is the same wine as the ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’—from the 2015 vintage and made from an old vine field blend—aged for an exceptional 114 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. The once-bright currant and spiced plum fruit has evolved into dried fruit and rich rum raisin cake, showing deep maturity and layered complexity. The tannins remain grippy but are finally beginning to resolve, leading to a long, spicy finish. Not yet released as of May 2025. Check with the winery for availability.
The ‘B 15 02 RCV MTR’ is the same wine as the ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’—from the 2015 vintage and crafted from an old vine field blend—aged instead for an extraordinary 100 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. The currant and spiced plum fruit found in the 76-month-aged version is still present, now evolving into more tertiary territory. Notes of dusty sagebrush, loamy earth, kirsch, and crushed almonds emerge, along with spiced nuts and plenty of textural tannin to carry the wine’s weight and complexity. NOT YET RELEASED as of May 2025. Check with winery.
The ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’ hails from the 2015 vintage and represents the first two of ten barrels from an old vine field blend, aged for 76 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. This deeply expressive wine marries the lifted florals and blue fruit tones of the 2017 with the herbaceous spice and bright acidity of the 2016. Aromas of dried violet, grilled agave, and spicy currants unfold into a layered palate of tart red berries, dark cassis, and blood orange. Rich loamy earth, black truffle, and nutty undertones weave through a full-bodied frame, supported by sappy tannins and a savory, saline-tinged finish. The texture is firm yet supple, with persistent energy and depth from its extended barrel aging.
The ‘B 17 00 RCV TOU’ is 100% Touriga Nacional, aged for 52 months in neutral barrels. Compared to the 2016 release, which spent 36 months in barrel, this 2017 bottling offers lifted aromas of dried violets, rich nutty nuances, blue fruit tones, and a hint of grilled agave. Full-bodied on the palate, with rich loamy earth, black truffle notes, dark cassis, and tobacco. This is the kind of wine you’ll want to sip on all night—ideally after enjoying the 2016 with a well-salted steak.
The ‘B 16 00 RCV TOU’ is 100% Touriga Nacional, aged for 36 months in neutral barrels. The nose offers spicy currant fruit and herbaceous aromatics, leading into a palate of tart red berries, blood orange, and sappy tannins. The finish is marked by a spicy, saline-acid tension that adds lift and vibrancy.
The ‘B 17 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot, all ENTAV 181 clone. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 52 months. This wine smells and drinks like an aged Right Bank Bordeaux, with aromas of loamy earth, sooty minerals, spiced plums, and currant fruit layered over a subtle green tobacco leaf note. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with firm, velvet-textured tannins, cigar box nuances, and underbrush emerging with time. Balanced tension and mouthwatering freshness carry the wine to a long, savory finish.
The ‘B 16 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 38 months. This wine shows greater density and richness than previous vintages, with deep currant fruit beginning to take on a Port- or Sherry-like quality. A rich nuttiness is emerging, along with a rum-raisin character that adds complexity and a sense of coiled-up energy.
The ‘B 15 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 26 months. It delivers rich black currant fruit and warm baking spices, with notes of spiced plum and plump, satiny tannins that glide into a long, balanced finish with just the right amount of tension.
The ‘B 17 00 RCV RUB’ is the 2017 Ruby Cab, aged for an impressive 52 months in barrel. Winemaker Dan McLaughlin has consistently used 225L Radoux French oak for this wine. The nose still carries a touch of pyrazine character, but it’s mellowed, giving way to emerging notes of black currant, currant leaf, and espresso bean, layered with rich baking spices. The palate shows soft, velvety tannins that fuel the wine’s lengthy finish. To fully appreciate this wine, and the lengthy aging regimen, you really need to understand Dan’s winemaking philosophy and for that, you really need to meet him in person.
The 2021 Ruby Cab, denoted as ‘B 21 00 RCV RUB’ on the label, was fermented with native yeast, no sulfites added. The pH clocks in at 4.1—intentionally high to shy away from the pyrazines typical of Cabernet. What you get on the nose is unmistakably Ruby Cabernet (look it up): a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grown in Texas. Aged for just 12 months in neutral barrel, this wine is meant to show customers what the grape expresses without oak influence. It smells of capsicum and bell pepper, with intense, grippy tannins and solid concentration. The grip here comes from tannin, not acidity, and it’s best paired with a well-salted steak. “This is an example young wine—only 13 months in neutral oak—used to show customers why we do extended barrel aging. Compare it to the 2017 Ruby Cab, which spent 52 months in barrel,” says Dan McLaughlin.
The ‘B 22 00 RCV TOU’ Rosé is crafted in a Vin Gris style, with a brief skin contact lasting just minutes before fermenting in stainless steel and aging in neutral barrels prior to bottling. A blend of Touriga Nacional and Barbera, it delivers bright grapefruit and tart cherry flavors with a light- to medium-bodied finish. Wild herb notes build gracefully on the palate, adding lift and complexity.
A blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, this wine is native yeast–fermented in an egg-shaped fermenter and finished as a Pét-Nat. It’s exceptionally clean and polished, with a creamy texture and bright flavors of cranberry, strawberry, and white peach. The mousse is rich, vibrant, and creamy, delivering a pure and expressive sparkling wine.
This 100% Cabernet Franc was aged for 18 months in 36% new French oak barrels. Polished, poised, and profoundly expressive, it layers perfectly ripe black currant, muddled plum, and black cherry with remarkable precision. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm yet velvety tannins framing savory black fruit laced with sweet dried herbs and spearmint. Cigar box nuances drive the bone-dry finish, while a lift of blood orange acidity brings clarity and focus. It stands out among the most complex Cabernet Francs of my tasting in May 2025 in the Livermore Valley.
