Dustybuns back in the house!

With a “soon-to-be-legendary site,” as Wine Enthusiast called Bentrock Vineyard, rating the previous vintage of this wine 95 points!

Now that we’ve rolled out a few of his wines, we can call him that. Our love for this dude is REAL. Load up as much as you can, because it will likely be the last time you see it - more on that below.

We first met Dusty a few years ago at a tasting in Paso. His wines were outstanding. His demeanor is 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. Dusty has had quite a career. Despite his youthful appearance, he has been a professional motocross rider, poker player, race car driver, golfer, and triathlete – all while continuing to work at his family’s steel distribution company. Wow… He could possibly rival our Agent Red for the title “Most Interesting Man in the World!”

Dusty’s winery, started in 2015, was born out of the same passion he brings to everything in life. A self-taught winemaker, he is quick to credit a few mentors, including Matt Dees of the Hilt, Nile Zacherle of David Aurthur, and Paul Frankel of Sculpterra. Once you pop the cork on this taut, mineral-driven Chardonnay, with complex oak spice and silken texture, his uncanny skill is on full display. 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!

Bentrock is a Grand Cru-worthy site with frequent appearances on some great labels by Chateau Boswell, Babcock, Tyler, The Hilt, Sandhi, Dragonette, and Alma Rosa. Posted on the western end of Santa Rosa Road in the Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest and windiest pockets on the California coast. These north-facing rolling hills at 400–500 feet, planted on Santa Lucia shaly clay loam with outcrops of Jurassic-era fossils, are said to give these wines a signature chalky, saline, almost flinty minerality.

Man, this is just about perfect, with golden apples and just ripe lychee, Asian pear, and crushed flint. A beautiful salinity courses through it, too. Just charged with acidity and a surprising weight that rushes in like a heavy wave and draws out a finish that just keeps washing your taste buds with flavors. The modest 13% alcohol is nice, too… You saw the price, right?!

And finally, some bad news. Through the grapevine, we hear that Dusty may soon be closing up shop, which is the main reason we have this here. Like many smaller producers, the headwinds have proven too much. We wish him the very best on his new adventures, whatever they may be.

In the meantime, load up on this while you can because it’s surely one of the best Chardonnay deals of the year!

What Wine Enthusiast saw in the 2023 vintage echoes here too; “Austere aromas of chiseled marble and yellow grapefruit pith draw the nose deeply into this exhilarating expression of Chardonnay from a soon-to-be-legendary site. That crushed, chalky stone element carries into Asian pear and light spearmint touches on the grippy palate.”