Pinot people, gather around.

Dusty is back! This is but one of FOUR wines (the others here in the Store) we have from one of our favorite small, independent producers around. All of them powerhouse efforts.

This one is from a truly special place.

If you haven’t heard of the Radian Vineyard, it is perhaps one of the craziest, most magical places for the grape, not just in the country, but in the world! The vineyard is owned by Stan Kroenke (who may know from his other vineyard holdings – Screaming Eagle in Napa and Bonneau du Martray in Burgundy), the land is nutrient poor, windy, and harsh. Standing in the vineyard, if it weren’t for the strong wind off the Pacific, you might think you were on the moon. Grapes are about the only thing that can grow there, but… BUT the result is simply magical! The diatomaceous earth soils naturally limit yields, leading to wines of great depth of fruit that are structurally intricate, elegant, with loads of mineral depth and length.

Pinot Noir from this preternatural vineyard usually costs, justifiably, over $100 per bottle. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find one for less than $75. Today… well, you can’t find one for this price, anywhere. We’re setting you up for a future of humble bragging rights, immense happiness and maybe even some extra scratch to pay for those back-to-school college textbooks.

When we tried it at HQ, we were struck dumb. Pinot Noir does not get much better than this. From Burgundy to California. You’ll struggle to beat anything, especially at this flash-in-the-pan price. To be honest, this would give many a Premier Cru Burgundy a run for the money, if not a total smackdown.

We first met Dusty a few years ago at a tasting in Paso. His wines were outstanding. His demeanor friendly, humble, and chill. And if you had the Los Olivos Cab we offered a while back, you already have a glimpse at the quality, which is through the roof.

Set up in a humble industrial park in Ventura County’s Camarillo, for the last ten years Dusty has been quietly producing 90+ scoring wines at (VERY) tiny quantities that he would sell to the general wine loving population. Mostly his mailing list members, who usually drain the entire production year after year. Luckily for you, and us (we’re buying cases of this one) that wasn’t the case with this 2023.

Not open to the public. Not stocked up on the wine shelves of your local grocery. Not something you’d ever likely be lucky enough to come across. Until NOW that is!

From the near-mythical 2023 vintage, and grown on this rugged hillside in Sta. Rita Hills, this Pinot is made entirely from clone 667. It shows fleshy, ripe, and juicy style with plenty of minerality, herbs, and forest floor. It’s pleasure-bent, but complex as heck, and priced to sell out in VERY quickly.

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast “Dark, crystallized purple fruit and blueberry aromas meet with asphalt and subtle incense on the nose of this bottling. The palate is deep and intense, pairing hefty boysenberry and violet flavors with bold strokes of vanilla, all balanced by a firm structure.”