While I haven’t had the chance to try the wines (yet), I just want to echo what wonderful people Dustin and Renee are. Dustin helped me out in a very kind gesture and was nothing but incredibly friendly and welcoming, I look forward to supporting their project.
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I met with Dustin and Renee back in April when I visited the valley. Basically echoing what everyone else has said.
I personally was blown away by the SB. It is phenomenal and should be discussed amongst the best in the valley. It’s amazing what that grape can do when you dedicate a tiny bit more time and resource to it.
The cab is no slouch either. It is an elegant perfumed style by design, meant to be distinct from the ocean of gloopy thick Napa cabs that are otherwise interchangeable. There clearly has been thought put into this wine and what it is supposed to be.
A small estate project with very good wines and great people behind it. Not sure what more you could ask for.
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Ripeness wise, I would say halfway between myself and Costanzo. Definitely riper than Corison and Jasud, but not as ripe as the wines made by Melka and TRB. The SB reminds me of a lower alcohol Lail or V29. All are quite structured and will get better with time. If having them now, recommend 2-8 hours double decanted.
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Roy is spot on. Having read everything here and tasting the wines myself, I’m reminded of how good the 22s are and cannot imagine how good the '23s will be. The early excitement on these is definitely warranted!
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Definitely want to try this one. I’ve been a Portocork customer all along and met Dustin when he and my sales guy visited the winery. Must repay the visit when in Napa!
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would love to have you visit when you get down here again. I am also very interested to try your new Napa cab. always had an affinity for that vineyard and would like to see what you did with that fruit. 
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Interesting, just saw the wines - both CS and Sav Blanc being offered from K LAZ in both singles and 3 packs. Believe release to list is in October so not sure if these are pre-arrival. Cab is $190/bts and 3 pack is $540. So maybe a touch higher than direct based on above post.
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I did as well
I just saw that email too and reached out to Dustin to clarify - K Laz is only doing a pre-release offer. Official release will be October 8th. It sounds like from the people who’ve tasted the wines that my initial thoughts on how good these wine are is accurate!
I also got confirmation that the MOWE release price is indeed 175.00 for the Cabernet and 100.00 for the white.
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My wife and I had the opportunity to taste with Dustin and Renee at their residence last Friday prior to their early October release and both of us were blown away by their hospitality, their passion, as well as their wines.
It was our final tasting in Napa (we also visited Palisades Canyon, Realm, and Annulus), and we both agreed that their Sauvignon Blanc was quite possibly our favorite expression of the varietal and that the Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the best we tasted during our trip. Both wines became super expressive after a few hours in glass, and completely overturned whatever hesitation I had about purchasing from the 2022 vintage.
Specifically, we tasted 4 wines (in addition to the welcome glass of champagne). My notes below will also be posted on CT.
2022 MOWE Sauvignon Blanc - this wine is honestly singing already and may just be my favorite Sauvignon Blanc right now. Like what others mentioned previously, the freshness and minerality in this wine puts it in the top echelon of Sauvignon Blancs around the world. Personally, I compared it some bottlings of Didier Dagueneau, with the complexity and almost chalkiness salinity that it provides. Intense aromatics and flavors of white jasmine, nectarine blossoms, Meyer lemon, slightly ripe but still more tart pineapple. Super vibrant but not overly racy acidity; the wine dances on your palate with a slight salinity leading to a pleasant and extended finish. I ended up grabbing more of this wine than I have for any other wine I’ve ever bought.
2022 MOWE Cabernet Sauvignon - this wine was perfectly elegant and refined, and surprisingly already open for business. The fruit and acidity were very well balanced and the tannins were smoothly integrated without any sharpness or astringency. The wine is dark but not brooding, the body is there but nowhere as weighty compared to wines from Thomas Rivers Brown or Mike Smith. A mixture of red and black fruit with some graphite intermingled within. There’s an additional savory element in the mid-palate that comes through and goes into the finish, which is extremely long; the beauty of the wine lingers on the palate through a gradual decrescendo. I’m extremely excited to have been able to pick up an magnum and am definitely looking forward to seeing how this evolves.
We also had the very special opportunity to try two different barrel samples from their 2023 MOWE Cabernet Sauvignon, one of them possibly being a special reserve barrel. To put it bluntly, I will have to cut back and possibly drop some of my other lists in order to buy as much MOWE as I can next year (also my wedding year so it works out perfectly)! The 2023s are definitely more structured and heavier and more powerful in nature when compared to the 2022s, but the precision in these wines is amazing. Albeit super young, everything I could want is there already at this stage - grippy tannins, elevated acidity, decadent fruit - can’t wait for these to be released in 2025.
Overall, in my opinion, what Dustin and Renee are doing with MOWE is truly phenomenal. Both of them are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about wine, super down to earth, and fun to talk to! Both my wife and I had a great time, we learned a lot, and we can’t wait to get these wines in our cellar!
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Excited to visit next week!
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Nice - thanks for the notes! How was Annulus?
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I’d love to hear about your visit to Realm as well. Big fan of their wines.
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I’ve posted my notes on my Annulus tasting on the newly formed Annulus thread -
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I had the great pleasure and joy of tasting with Renee and Dustin at their home last Friday and was also blown away by their hospitality, passion, and wines. The wines were very expressive, especially after being decanted hours prior to serving.
The 2022 Sauv Blanc really is incredible, with a mouthfeel and mid-palate that sings right now and will probably age another 5-10 years no issue. Very happy to have purchased a few bottles to kick things off.
I found the 2022 Cab Sauv to be very elegant, and ready to drink now. Well balanced tannins, with a focus on freshness and acidity, reminds me a spottswoode cab. No signs of the 2022 September heat. Been thinking about this wine since I got back from Napa over the weekend and may also add a few bottles.
Cheers to Renee and Dustin for a great inaugural vintage with MOWE . Their passion, knowledge, and attention to detail is infectious and I had a great time and learned a lot. They are down to earth and fun to spend time with. I’m looking forward to getting some of their art into my cellar.
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I was able to visit Renee and Dustin last weekend with 2 wine friends who never heard of them. The short is run don’t walk. These wines are exceptional.
The 22 SB is in the top 3 of SB’s I’ve ever had. I liken it to a cross between La Pelle and Eisele SB. You get the best of both worlds. The high acidity from the La Pelle SB but the wonderful length and purity from an Eisele SB. I went deep on this bottling. If you like SB this is a must buy.
The 22 Cab was killer as well. I think Roy nails it on the head with the ripeness between his and DiConstanzo. Not boozy whatsoever. Very pure, elegant, and restrained. Age and air does this wine justice. It got better and better as it warmed and opened up. The freshness of the wine reminded me of the MacDonald’s I’ve been fortunate to try. The wines are true winners.
Like Frank mentioned. The 23’s are absolute stunners. I already told Dustin I was excited and ready to pick up the 23s even before the 22 release! Dustin and Renee killed it in 22. I wouldn’t miss these wines, especially at their price points! Thanks again Dustin!
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Thank you all for taking the time to write about our wines and share your experience meeting and tasting with us. We truly appreciate your support and encouragement. We have really enjoyed getting to know so many super passionate wine folks.
Our release goes live tomorrow morning after four years of pouring everything we have into this, and reading this thread makes it all so worthwhile
Cheers
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Question. I saw one poster state the cabs are ready to drink now, but I am wondering what the longevity of this vintage will be? I’m excited to purchase today, but I already have a ton of wine and have been buying mostly bottles to put away over the past year.
The cabernet will definitely age. When someone refers to it as ready to go now, they are considering with a long healthy decant or double decant (or both). The wine has great acidity and tannin so i expect it will be drinking really well for a long time. It is not a pop and pour wine for the first few years. I think someone upthread said it best - the cab is tasting great now for a young wine but will really benefit from 5 years or so of bottle aging.
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Do you see these going 10-15+?