Acquire the Gravel Series
The Gravel Series is the finest expression of Round Pond’s Rutherford and Oakville estate — three small-production, 100% Cabernet Sauvignons, grown from gravel.
Secret Garden
Dedicated to our Mother, whose strength is legendary and eye for beauty remarkable.
The Secret Garden takes its name from a hidden oasis within our Oakville M-Bar Ranch, tucked at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain Range on Napa Valley’s famed Oakville bench. Wonderfully gravelly earth, maritime fog influence, and meticulously farmed grapes produce a wine of complexity, nuance, elegance, and femininity.
About the Vineyard
The soil of our Oakville site lies on a gravelly base overlaid with alluvial soils washed down from the Mayacamas mountain range. The gravelly foundation provides excellent water drainage, while a subtle slope allows excess water to flow into the Napa River; a perfect combination for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. This site experiences more maritime influence, with the fog layer lingering later in the morning and arriving earlier in the evening, leading to slightly cooler days and nights. These mild conditions produce wines with an elegant flavor profile and structure.
Scholar’s Gate
Dedicated to our Father and his belief that through hard work, you can achieve anything.
Traditionally a mark of respect for the first family scholar, the Scholar’s Gate is a tribute to perseverance, determination, and the power of hard work. Selected from microsites in the northern corner of our Rutherford vineyards, this wine is big, bold, structured, intense, and beautiful.
About the Vineyard
The northeastern section of our Rutherford property, the Red Barn Vineyard, features a gravel streak meandering through three blocks. In these microsites, less water is retained during the growing season, creating stress in the vine. This “hydro stress” starts very early in the spring, forcing the vine to focus on ripening the fruit, not on the vine growth itself. Meticulously farmed and delivering lower yields of tiny berries, these blocks produce beautifully concentrated flavors, rich aromatics, and ripe tannins.
The Vow
Dedicated to our siblings, with whom we walk through life and strive to make a difference for the next generation.
Sourced from a narrow strip of gravel running through the southeast corner of our Rutherford vineyard, the Vow is well-structured, expressive, dark, and serious. It represents our commitment to past and future generations, to Rutherford, and to its place in producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon.
About the Vineyard
The southeast portion of our Rutherford property, Block 11B, has a gravel riverbed running throughout, with soils that are extremely porous and retain less water during the growing season. The stress in the vine (called “hydro stress”) starts very early in the spring, forcing the vine to focus on ripening the fruit, not on the growth of the vine itself. We farm these individual vines with great care throughout the season to produce this deeply concentrated and intensely structured wine.
Revellique
Available only through Gravel Series Membership.
Revellique is not made every year. It is only born when the vintage demands it. Created from the two finest barrels of the entire vintage, hand-selected by Thomas Rivers Brown and Jeff Plant, this wine unites the best rows from our Rutherford and Oakville vineyards into one exceptional expression.
Inspired by the sculpture La Rêve (The Dream) — a symbol of love, hope, and aspiration — Revellique is dedicated to those who find happiness in life’s celebration.
Gravel Series Membership
Gravel Series Membership offers access to the highly-allocated, small-production Gravel Series Cabernet Sauvignons while they are still in barrel, through an automatic, recurring futures reservation.
Wines ship upon release the following October. Membership is extremely limited, and inquiries are reviewed by the Gravel Concierge team.
Secret Garden
Futures allocations opens Spring 2026 · Ships October following vintage
The Vow
Futures allocations opens Summer 2026 · Ships October following vintage
Scholar’s Gate
Futures allocations opens Fall 2026 · Ships October following vintage
Consulting Winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown
The Gravel Series is a collaboration between the MacDonnell family and consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, whose career includes Schrader Cellars, Maybach, and Outpost, and whose accolades include Food & Wine’s Winemaker of the Year and multiple 100-point scores from Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate.
Forty years of estate-grown Rutherford Cabernet, shaped by one of Napa’s most exceptional palates.
“As owners we have focused on the creation of our family’s estate wine program with the goal to coax the purest and most unique aspects out of the soil and into our wines. In 2012, we vinified a new series of Cabernet Sauvignon’s based exclusively from three unique gravel streaks that run throughout our Rutherford Estate and Oakville M-Bar properties. Today, these designated superior vines – picked for their ability to yield powerful yet elegant wines – and superlative winemaking have come together in the Round Pond Gravel Series.”
Ryan MacDonnell Bracher
Gravel Series Wines Currently Available for Purchase
An Extremely Limited Membership
To explore this rare opportunity, contact our Gravel Concierge. We’ll walk you through the program and answer any questions. Call or text 707-302-2575 or email [email protected]