Notes from the Archivist

"Ronin"

It’s VERY difficult to find an “honest” Cabernet this well made for under $30, and this certainly puts the stress test on the concept of a value proposition.

With 93 points, and 56% off, this entry has nothing to hide.

While some of our releases remain cloaked in layers of secrecy, this does not. The source, vineyard, relationship. It’s all right here, kimono open, hanging out for the world to see.

And what a sight. We’re damn proud to share this one with you. Not just because it’s terrifyingly easy to drink – which it is. But because it represents the essence of what we are trying to do – find you the best damn wines, from good people, incredible vineyards, and drop them for a price that’s hard to resist.

I was introduced to Dusty about eight years ago by a mutual friend at a dinner in Los Alamos (Santa Barbara). You would never know it by first meeting him in the context of a fine dinner, but Dusty has a rich history. His father lays pipe, a LOT of pipe. Not that kind of pipe…

Dusty was quite adventurous at an early age. And mind you this is what I have gathered over eight years of early morning texts, random phone calls and many more dinners…that night it was only about wine. He can drive or ride anything. Busting 100 foot airs on a dirtbike, racing rally cars through Baja, or drifting with Japan’s best. He once told me that a Ferrari F40 is shit to drive…I’ll probably never know.

Then he got into triathlons, gravel races, and even Iron Man.

That kind of guts and determination of character translates directly to other walks of life. How you do one thing is how you do everything, as the saying goes.

Dusty’s day job his to help run his dad’s pipe business. About twenty years ago, amidst all the racing and training, he started collecting cult wines. Eventually he caught the bug of winemaking and did a few harvests in Santa Barbara. He not only has charisma, but a sharp intellect and thus he eventually became dear friends to some of the most highly regarded winemakers in the region. In 2015, the same year I went off on my own with Chiron, he stated Dusty Nabor Wines. He makes elegant, complex wines that speak of their place and what he has learned.

When we started Archival I was chatting with him explaining the project and he said that he could pass some wine our way. He had this great vineyard in Los Olivos, Villa Colibri, that he loved making but he just had too much of it.

So, we struck a deal. And while this exact wine fetches a modest $65 under his own label, it’s here in front of you for more than 50% OFF.

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% new French oak. This region of Los Olivos lends some interesting herbal character to Cab. In a unique, pleasant way that levels up the complexity. It is the eastern most portion of the Santa Ynez Valley 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. He asked if I needed to do a blending session with him. However, I told him “no”.

I trust Dusty, I like his palate. So, this offering is a full DN wine. It is all him. And it’s lovely.

Adopt as many of these as you reasonably can because unlike cats, it’s never weird to have too much wine around.

93 points – Decanter

“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.”