Graeme and Alex MacDonald gave me a heads up and told me to jump on this new project some time ago, and later Roy Piper echoed the same, and urged me to get on the list as quickly as possible. Mowe is located on a small hillside at the base of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. This past Saturday, I finally had the chance to visit the property and try the wines with Dustin and Renee.
This is definitely a project worth following closely and getting in on early, especially if these types of wines are to your liking. They offer both an Estate Cabernet and a Sauvignon Blanc.
The Mowe Estate Vineyard consists of a small 1-acre plot planted by David Abreu in 1990. For many years, the fruit was sold to Spottswoode Estate. Interestingly, the vineyard is situated about 180 degrees opposite from Hundred Acre’s Ark Vineyard, and shares a similar slope, soil, and climate.
The vineyard is managed by Ignacio Gallegos who managed the Scarecrow vineyard for 20+ years and wines are made by winemakers Matthew Sands (Screaming Eagle, Bryant, Lithology) for the Cabernet and Maayan Koschitzky (Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Melka) for their Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are made at Lithology Winery on Meadowood Ln in Saint Helena.
The first release, a 2022 Estate Cabernet, is stunning—and I don’t say that lightly. Despite the well-known heat issues of 2022, there are zero indications of the scorching September heat wave in these wines. The wine opens with aromas of ripe black cherries, freshly cracked black pepper, and subtle notes of dried herbs and cigar box. On the palate, it is remarkably poised and elegant, with powerful tannins and bright acidity providing exceptional structure and balance. Layers of dark fruits, cassis, and graphite unfold, leading to a long, persistent finish. In many ways, this Mowe Cabernet Sauvignon reminded me of the classic style of Pauillac, particularly Lafite. Like its Bordelais counterpart, the Mowe is poised and refined, with a compelling interplay of power and finesse. An incredible debut wine, especially given the challenging vintage.
The wine has around 70% new French oak. It’s a big wine, but not a monster. My guess is that it could use 3-5 years of aging, would do well with 5-6 hours of decanting, and should last two decades. This bottle had a 6-hour decant, and I would love to try one as a pop-and-pour just to see the difference. Only 196 cases were produced, a mere 8 barrels.
The Mowe Sauvignon Blanc comes from a small dry-farmed vineyard in the Coombsville AVA and is crafted in the Bordeaux Blanc style.
The Sauvignon Blanc, also a first release and a 2022 vintage, was fantastic. It reminded me of the DANA Sauvignon Blanc, with intense aromas of fresh grapefruit, lemon zest, and a delicate white floral note, with just hints of nearly ripe pineapple. On the palate, it is laser-focused and precise, with vibrant acidity that provides wonderful tension and mouthwatering freshness but with some texture and weight. Like the Cabernet, the Sauvignon Blanc exhibits remarkable purity and intensity of fruit. Its mineral-laden, almost saline character lends impressive depth and complexity, elevating it well beyond the realm of a typical Sauvignon Blanc. The bottle we sampled had been open for over 24 hours and was still singing.
The Sauvignon Blanc is barrel-aged in French oak for 19 months and bottled unfiltered (not common with SB). Only about 100 cases were produced, just five barrels.
The wines will be released in October. Production is likely to remain very small, as the Estate vineyard is only an acre, and the Sauvignon Blanc vineyard is about the same. The SB vineyard is dry-farmed, so annual vintage variation is a factor (they mentioned having about 50 more cases in 2023).
Here’s a link to their website…MOWE Napa Valley
Dustin and Renee are incredible hosts and are beginning to show the wines so if you’re planning a trip to Napa, this is a project not to miss!
