Jonathan Cristaldi

San Francisco

Napa Valley Correspondent at Decanter

Writer at Freelance

Articles

Cristaldi: Seeking Napa Valley's best ‘second label’ wines

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

In Bordeaux, the ‘second wine’ concept is both well-established and well-defined. These wines, often called ‘second labels,’ are traditionally crafted from lots that don’t make the cut for the château’s grand vin.
All Alcohol is Bad, Eh?

1 month ago | cristaldiandco.com | Jonathan Cristaldi |Joe Roberts

by Jonathan Cristaldi and Joe Roberts You’ve probably noticed that alcoholic beverages have been under siege lately.
Cristaldi: The evolution of Silver Oak

1 month ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

In 2020, Decanter contributor Elin McCoy interviewed David Duncan – proprietor of Silver Oak, Twomey, OVID Napa Valley, and Timeless – profiling the iconic Silver Oak label. In her feature, McCoy observed that the most recent vintages seemed, ‘less oaky and more lifted, promising a strong future direction’.
Cristaldi: How Schrader Cellars powered its renaissance with a new approach at To Kalon

2 months ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

For nearly a quarter of a century, Schrader Cellars has been a cornerstone for collectors of high-end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Founded in 1998 by Fred Schrader, a prominent art and antiques dealer, the label’s inaugural wine was from the same vintage. Shortly after, Schrader partnered with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, who produced the 2000 vintage, including the first Beckstoffer To Kalon release.
Cristaldi: Tasting 40 vintages of Groth's Napa Cabernet

Dec 3, 2024 | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Before Oakville became Napa’s golden coast of cult and iconic wineries, Dennis and Judy Groth set down roots in the area – more than a decade before Oakville became an appellation. Two real estate agents and vineyard owners – Ren Harris and Jean Phillips, who owned Paradigm Vineyards and Screaming Eagle, respectively – convinced Groth that Napa was the best place to invest in the burgeoning American wine scene.
Cristaldi: Napa Valley’s 2014 Cabernets 10 years on

Nov 3, 2024 | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Those 2014 Napa Cabs you’ve been eyeing in the cellar? Unsure if it’s time to pop corks? You’d hardly be alone in the sheer agony of wondering. After all, the 2014 vintage has stood in the shadow of the 2013 vintage, widely hailed as one of Napa’s finest this century. Well, good news: for the most part, they are evolving quite nicely, even if inconsistency means they won’t quite qualify as anyone’s deathbed vintage. Still, right now, they make for an excellent glass, and the best have decades to go.
Cristaldi: Understanding the signature ‘Rutherford Dust’ and how to spot it

Oct 13, 2024 | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Russian-born enologist André Tchelistcheff – whose name still evokes a hushed reverence among California winemakers – famously once quipped that ‘it takes Rutherford Dust to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon.’ ‘Rutherford Dust’ is a term that’s now so inextricably intertwined with Napa Valley’s Rutherford sub-appellation that in 1994 – several decades after Tchelistcheff’s remark – it inspired the name of the Rutherford Dust Society (a non-profit association of winegrowers and vintners dedicated...
For Outstanding California Wine, Look for Bottles Made With Grapes Grown on These 16 Vineyards

Oct 11, 2024 | msn.com | Jonathan Cristaldi |Ray Isle

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Napa 2021 Cabernet: Finding value in the Napa Valley

Oct 1, 2024 | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Authenticity, complexity, density and power are the hallmark traits of the 2021 Napa Cabernet wines. Savoury-packed and mineral-rich with ample mid-palate concentration and densely layered red and black-fruited profiles, wines are framed by compact tannins that etch themselves onto the palate with a fine, pinpoint granularity. They are unquestionably age-worthy wines. There has been a paradigm shift in the last decade regarding what makes for a ‘value’ Cabernet Sauvignon wine from Napa Valley.
Napa Valley Cabernet 2021: Top wines from Rutherford & St Helena

Sep 25, 2024 | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

RutherfordThe 2021 growing season turned out an ideal vintage for Napa Valley’s Rutherford producers and an especially good year for those who love the region’s calling card, ‘Rutherford dust’ spice aromas and grainy-dusty tannin profile. In this dry year, Rutherford growers fared among the best of all the AVAs in the valley, producing a crop of wines widely viewed to have exceptional ageing potential.