The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
In Texas, this grape tends to show more florality and structure, says Zachary Raines, winemaker for Augusta Vin—”probably from that shorter growing season.” The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in a combination of barriques and large-format puncheons, with 40% new French oak. The oak is beautifully integrated, lending a buttery palate expression with good mid-palate fruit density and length. Spicy ginger notes and saline-acid tension balance out the wine’s soft, fleshy mouthfeel.
Fermented in stainless steel and oak-aged for roughly six to eight months before bottling. Lovely, subtle aromatics of citrus oil and honeysuckle lead into a medium-bodied palate with a silky, satiny mouthfeel. Bright citrus zest and citrus oil keep the palate lively, fresh, and full of energy, carrying through with good length and tension. You would be hard-pressed to detect any oak influence apart from the beautifully silky texture.
From the Rolland Taylor Vineyard in the Texas High Plains. Hand-picked, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in a mix of new and neutral oak puncheons and smaller barriques. Bright notes of orange peel and lemon zest lead the nose, accented by honeysuckle, vanilla, and subtle toasty oak. The medium-bodied palate offers fantastic silkiness, carrying through to a lengthy, saline finish with a pop of grapefruit and tangerine zest—almost like biting into a fresh kumquat.
Aged entirely in stainless steel for six months before bottling. Elegant white peach, apricot, and honeycomb aromas lead, with a lovely weight and silky fruit depth from partial malolactic fermentation. The palate leans toward poached apples, guava, and white peach, layered with pressed wildflowers and a subtle baking spice character. Nicely persistent on the finish. 92
Produced in the traditional method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 18 months in neutral French oak barrels, then three months en tirage, with a dosage of 12g/L. Composed entirely of Counoise from the 2023 vintage. Aromas of toasty French pastry, grapefruit zest, and flinty minerality lead into a palate marked by vibrant grapefruit oil notes. The mousse is focused, building richness from the generous dosage, yet the wine remains nicely balanced with a bracing mineral finish.
Made in the Charmat method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 24 months on the lees in neutral French oak barrels before being racked to tank for secondary fermentation with yeast. Dosage is 12g/L. Composed mostly of Counoise with a splash of Gewürztraminer, which lifts the aromatics with high-toned white flowers and a hint of guava that also brightens the palate. The mousse is creamy and vibrant, building energy through a lengthy, mineral-rich finish. Nicely balanced, with plenty of acid tension that carries the dosage seamlessly.
Made in the Charmat method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 24 months on the lees in neutral French oak barrels before being racked to tank for secondary fermentation with yeast. Dosage is 12g/L. Bright red berry fruit leads the nose, joined by tart cherry, ripe strawberry, and white flowers, with a delicate hint of honeysuckle. The mousse is rich, creamy, and assertive, yet resolves into a mellow, supple palate expression, with good fruit density carrying through to the finish. Despite the higher dosage, the wine remains beautifully balanced. Crafted by Zachary Raines, head winemaker, along with Josiah Phinney, associate winemaker, Cam McDonald, cellar master, and Frankie Aguilar, cellar technician.
Aged for 26 months in 43% new French oak. The Petite Sirah is sourced from Lahey Vineyards, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Family Vineyard in the High Plains, and the Souzao from the High Plains as well. This is a fragrant, medium- to full-bodied red, with lifted red-toned fruit, plums, high-toned brown spices, pressed wildflowers, and a crushed stone mineral character. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with silky, leather-laced tannins, white pepper nuances, and loads of distinct garrigue. A lengthy finish and balanced, mouthwatering acidity complete the profile.
Aged for 26 months in 55% new French oak. Bold and brooding, with muscular tannins and fantastic dark berry fruit layered with leather, wild herb nuances, and rose petal notes. Plush, velvet-textured tannins are laced with crunchy acidity, leading to a lengthy finish accented by hints of incense and clove.
This Tempranillo is sourced fruit for now, but estate-grown vines are on the way. Fermented in smaller oak fermenters and then aged for 18 months in 58% new French oak. The wine shows tart red berry fruit with refined, smooth tannins and good acid grip that carries through the long finish. A touch of toasty oak and baking spices is layered throughout, but the wine remains fresh, focused, and inviting—an ideal match for barbecue.
A blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Franc from Lahey Vineyards, aged for 18 months in 30% new French oak. Rich, toasty oak aromas are married to dark berry fruit, with espresso bean and toasted nut nuances building in the glass. Medium-bodied on the palate, with saline-laced tannins and a lengthy, toasty oak–infused finish.
Fermented in large upright oak fermenters, then aged for 18 months in 51% new French oak. The nose is bright and ripe, showing classic Zinfandel character with forward red fruit, baking spice, wild herbs, and a hint of vanilla bean. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with ripe dark berry fruit, blue fruit nuances, and toasty oak weaving around the fruit and supple tannins. Easygoing and fruit-forward, this has become a guest favorite at the winery—a pricier porch pounder, but worth every penny.
Fermented in stainless steel, with ageing split between partial acacia wood puncheons—used to build mid-palate weight and aromatic intensity—and stainless steel for five months. Very bright, crisp, energetic, and clean, with citrus notes alongside subtle hints of papaya and mango, flinty minerality, and white flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, with excellent tension and grip, leading to a clean, mineral-driven finish with a saline edge. Fruit is sourced from Lahey Vineyards and Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains, along with estate fruit from the Texas Hill Country AVA.
Produced by partner Richard Kershaw in South Africa, and aged for 16 months in a blend of new French oak and stainless steel. This Chardonnay is sourced from a 35-year-old plot comprising just seven rows of vines—an overlooked vineyard Kershaw discovered near the ocean, about 2.5 hours from Cape Town, with ancient limestone soils. Kershaw replanted the site to Chardonnay, and the result is extraordinary. There’s a beautifully Chablis-like minerality that lifts from the glass, nuanced by rich layers of citrus fruit, citrus oil, flinty minerality, and crushed almonds. The mid-palate offers wonderful density, with citrus zest, orange oil, and white flowers underscored by beautifully integrated toasty oak. Salty-chalky mineral tension carries through the finish, which is impressively long and resonant. David Bradbury, Wine Director at Rhinory, joked about tasting the best Chardonnay of your life in Texas while guests wandered by to get close to Blake the Rhino—otherworldly, just like the wine itself. A truly great wine from this remarkable collective.
Fermented and aged for three years in 100% new French low-toast barrels. Made by David Finlayson in Stellenbosch. It offers fragrant red and black fruit layered with pressed flowers and earthy notes. Medium-bodied and approachable, with fine, grippy tannins that resolve nicely thanks to mouthwatering acidity. Serve it with a slight chill alongside barbecue.
