One Dusty down, one more to go…

A few weeks ago, when we tasted this, it was one of those rare moments that EVERYONE agreed upon. Outstanding. Tasty. Charming. And the price - another complete no-brainer.

Man, you simply cannot ask for anything more from a legit Cab for $26. This is straight-up bargain-priced manna!

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. Sadly, as we mentioned previously, Dusty has decided to close up shop, and this will likely be the last wine we see from him.

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% new French oak. Sourced from the easternmost portion of the Santa Ynez Valley, exactly where you would want to grow cabernet. With a long growing season, the fruit sees extended hang time and develops loads of flavor and ample tannin. And the outcome is a super juicy, ripe, and complex Cabernet, overflowing with blackberry and cassis. Roasted herbs, sugared walnut husk, and toasty sweet oak make their way into the mix, rounding into a long finish.

Interestingly, some of you have actually already tasted this EXACT wine. Our friends at Archival (Agent Rhône and Bobby Moy) bought some as shiners and labeled it as their “Ronin” release. It received a hearty 93 points from Decanter back then, and has only improved since.

That Decanter review here, “Sourced from Dusty Nabor’s Los Olivos Villa Colibrí vineyard, the 2023 Cabernet bursts with dark cherry and black raspberry, layered with intriguingly complex herbal nuances. The palate is silky and satiny, framed by superfine tannins and lifted by notes of white peppercorn and a subtle undercurrent of blood-orange acidity. Juicy, supple, fresh, and spicy, it’s a vibrant, finely detailed expression of Los Olivos Cabernet.”

This may as well (sniff) be the very last time we see a Dusty Nabor gem, pile up!