The Latest Cristaldi Scores
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
Vintage
Wine
Color
Rating
This blend of 40% Pinot Blanc, 40% Pinot Grigio, and 20% Muscat Blanc, sourced entirely from the Texas Hill Country AVA, is hand-harvested and aged for 10 months in neutral French oak on the lees. The result is a wine with enticing aromatics of lemon-lime and apricot, accented by a hint of kumquat and a subtle parmesan rind character. Light-bodied on the palate, it is clean, fresh, and focused, with a fine thread of chalky minerality that adds depth and balance. A perfect “porch-pounder,” this wine is both vibrant and immensely drinkable.
This fragrant estate Syrah is a bold, muscular wine with broad-shouldered tannins and a nice balance of sweet spices, violets, and loamy earth. Medium-bodied, it unfolds with leather and tobacco nuances, complemented by tart, dusty, mineral-rich red fruit flavors. The finish is long and entertainingly spicy.
This Tannat from Bending Branch was finished in bourbon barrels, with flash detente and cryo-maceration, and fermented in half-ton open-top fermenters. Sourced from two vineyards, it offers intriguing aromas of brandied morello cherry fruit and leather spices, mingling with sappy tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Softer and fleshy in the mouth, the wine reveals nice baking spice character, with layers of toffee, espresso bean, and a hint of molasses on the finish.
The Lost Pirogue Vineyard, located in the Texas Hill Country at 1,605 feet of elevation on limestone rubble soils, is the source of this exceptional Souzão. Hand-harvested and whole berry macerated, the wine was fermented in half-ton open-top containers and aged for just over 24 months in oak. Souzão truly shines in the Texas Hill Country, and this expression is a full-bodied, satiny-soft version of the variety. With perfectly integrated tannins, the wine reveals layers of dark currant and black cherry fruits, complemented by a nice inlay of ironstone minerality. The finish is long and expressive, marked by vibrant dried florals and lilacs. Totally inviting and delightfully expressive.
This Camp Lucy Vineyard Petit Verdot from the Texas Hill Country comes from a north-facing 5-acre site west of Dripping Springs. The wine offers an attractive nose, with red-toned fruits mingling with lilac and prairie herbs. These aromas build with nice intensity through the medium-bodied palate, supported by well-integrated, soft, and velvety tannins.
Bending Branch Winery’s Tallent Vineyards Mourvèdre from the Texas Hill Country is sourced from vines planted at 1,620 feet in Hickory sandstone soils. The wine undergoes whole berry maceration and is aged for 24 months in oak. Bright red-toned fruits, reminiscent of strawberry and black currants, are tinged with vanilla and persist on the medium-bodied palate. The wine finishes with a long, expressive note of espresso bean, adding complexity.
The Lost Pirogue Vineyard, located in the Texas Hill Country at 1,605 feet of elevation on limestone rubble soils, is the source of this Tannat wine from Bending Branch. Hand-harvested and whole berry macerated, the wine was fermented in half-ton open-top containers and aged for just over 24 months in oak. A more medium-bodied, softer expression of Tannat, with crunchy red berry fruit character, elegant minerality, and a litany of herbs and Indian spices.
Bending Branch’s 2017 Tannat, sourced from Newsom Vineyards in the Texas High Plains, is a medium- to full-bodied red that opens with vibrant cherry and strawberry fruit notes, complemented by white pepper spices. A powerful baseline of tannins provides structure, with nicely ripe and well-integrated tannins that add depth and smoothness. As the wine unfolds, nuances of tobacco and sage build complexity, leading to a mineral-rich finish.
Sourced from the One Way Vineyard in Floyd County, this medium-bodied Dolcetto showcases generous red fruit flavors alongside savory, meaty notes of leather, tobacco, and pressed violets. The ripe, burly tannins provide structure, resolving through a juicy and satisfying finish. Stylish and well-built, this Dolcetto offers good balance of fruit, earthiness, and tannic intensity.
The Fire Oak Vineyard, located in Mills County just north of the Texas Hill Country border, produces this blend of 55% Carignan and 45% Mourvèdre, which is brimming with bright red-toned fruits and a savory baking spice character. Medium-bodied, the wine offers mocha-rich, fine-grained tannins that provide structure, with candied red berry fruit carrying through to a rich, satisfying finish. A well-rounded and flavorful expression of these two varieties.
The La Valentía 100% Grenache, sourced from Bounty Harvest Vineyard in Gaines County, sits just outside the Texas High Plains AVA but benefits from its high-altitude terroir at 3,500 feet. Grown in sandy loam and caliche (limestone) soils, the wine undergoes a 5-day cold soak in stainless steel with gentle pumpovers before aging for 12 months in neutral French oak with bâtonnage. This Grenache shows ripe, pure red berry fruit complemented by brown baking spice notes. Medium-bodied, it is framed by firm, grippy tannins with a chocolaty edge, leading to a finish highlighted by blood orange acidity and a distinctively salty, crushed granite minerality.
From the Fire Oak Vineyard in Mills County, this red blend of 75% Mourvèdre and 25% Carignan is juicy, full-bodied, and layered with crunchy red fruit flavors and sweet spices, complemented by the distinctive character of dried wild herbs. The wine’s juicy acidity brings tension and freshness to the finish.
Wow, what a marvelously rich, full-bodied, and powerful Tannat, but with impressive energy and tension. It boasts balanced, robust tannins and loads of perfectly ripe dark berry fruit, including blueberry compote, alongside sweet and savory spices, and pure, natural, balanced acidity that keeps this wine grippy, fresh, and bright. The tannisn are massive and powerful, and I’d hold onto this until 2027, until popping corks. Consumers are in for a real treat when this is offered through the tasting room outside of Fredericksburg. A captivating expression of Tannat that promises to impress. Winemaker Tony Offill, who started here in 2017, has made marked improvements, and with Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger, who began consulting with William Chris in 2022, the transformation of these wines is incredible, and they are among the best wines being made in Texas today.
From the Hye Estate, this Tannat is ripe and fragrant, with a beautiful mix of red and purple florals, sweet spices, and extremely polished, firm, fine-grained tannins. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, it showcases brown spices and elegant cedarwood throughout, all while maintaining incredible freshness. Terrific fruit purity and density of fruit weight on the mid-palate are off the charts. Winemaker Tony Offill, who started here in 2017, has made marked improvements, and with Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger, who began consulting with William Chris in 2022, the transformation of these wines is incredible, and they are among the best wines being made in Texas today.
A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Malbec, and 8% Merlot, the 2022 William Chris Vineyards Enchanté is sourced from Upflit Vineyard on granitic bedrock, as well as Blackmon Ranch and Fovel Family Vineyard, where vines are rooted in Hickory sands. All three sites are located in the Llano Uplift formation within the Texas Hill Country AVA. Fermented in large upright oak fermenters and aged for 17 months in 25% new French oak, the use of French oak layers in tighter, more firm, and structured tannins that are fine-grained and well-integrated. The wine showcases a host of crunchy red and black-toned fruit character, graphite notes, and dried herbs, creating a dynamic and captivating profile. This is a dynamite wine from the Texas Hill Country, offering immediate appeal with the structure and aging potential to evolve beautifully over time.
