2023 Dust to Glory Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

With a winemaker like this, there were definitely going to be some hoops to jump through. And that meant back roads. Real rally-driver kinda stuff.

After all, we had to prove we were worthy of their talent, and so they had to send our little hatchback up a series of hair-raising logging roads on the way up to a site on Howell Mountain. It certainly would have been easier to meet for coffee at Bouchon Bakery, but we had to prove our commitment. And they had some business to attend to in the area, anyway.

The name behind today’s Dust to Glory is one of the most respected, well-known names in Napa Cabernet—a constant in the valley’s firmament for decades. Old school and quality-obsessed, they’ve worked with a legendary list of vineyards in their career: Beckstoffer To Kalon, Dr. Crane, Herb Lamb, and Morisoli all dot their résumé. 

They’ve helmed well-known labels, but today’s bottling comes from the superlative wines they make for themselves, which are sought-after and come with price tags to match the demand.

So when we got out of the car, a little amazed that it was still in one piece, they got straight to the point. “I don’t normally sell barrels,” they said, “but we had a big vintage in ‘23, and I need to free up some space in the cellar.”

It was a take-it-or-leave-it proposition: Seven barrels, prime Cab, great vintage, top sites. Cash on delivery. You know what came next.

Given our adventures on the back roads, Dust to Glory seemed like a fitting label—though there’s technically no NDA behind it, just a promise: “I trust you…and also if you say where you got this juice, I’ll make sure no one in this valley will ever sell you a barrel again.”