Mowe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena 2022

One of the delightful aspects of our job (and there are many) is witnessing so many entrepreneurial ambitions come to life. Seated at our infamous farm table, we have heard countless stories about lifelong dreams from people of all walks of life – young, old, immigrants, locals, industry vets – the list goes on! They each have a story so uniquely theirs that is ultimately expressed through their wine, and we get to witness their debut. This privilege is not lost on us.

Dustin and Renee Mowe made Napa Valley their home in the late 1990s. It was an explosive time for the valley, and Dustin had a fortuitous run-in with a cork salesman that changed his career trajectory. His advice to Dustin? Sell what every winery needs – corks. This plain yet brilliant piece of advice was all that Dustin needed to launch himself into the cork industry. In 2001, he was recruited as a salesman for PortoCork, one of America's most significant natural cork suppliers. In 2006, Dustin became president of that company, a position that he still holds today. His decades in cork put Dustin at the table with Napa Valley's finest winemakers and estate owners. Through these friendships, he learned first-hand what the vintner life might offer him, and in Renee's words, "For as long as Dustin and I have been enjoying wine, I always knew it was not "if" but rather "when" we would start our own winery."

In 2020, an opportunity arose that the couple couldn't resist: the chance to acquire a home and vineyard north of the town of St. Helena on the beautiful Silverado Trail. By then, Renee had finished raising their two children and was ready to dive into a new venture with her husband. When they walked the property for the first time, Dustin was stunned to see 3 old cork trees, possibly 50 years old or more. It was truly meant to be, and the couple became estate owners shortly thereafter.

The 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is Mowe's debut, and we see star potential already! Crafted by the talented Matt Sands (Alejandro Bulgheroni and Te Papa), this wine brilliantly highlights the exceptional quality of the Estate vineyard. Brambly black fruit, macerated black cherry, sage, crushed rose petals, and pipe tobacco all jump from the glass. Fine-grained and elegant tannins from the wine as undertones of cardamom and red currant emerge, with freshness and medium-full weight on the lengthy and memorable finish. Only 196 cases produced!