2021 Gravel Series ‘The Vow’ Cabernet Sauvignon
The Vow is more than a wine — it’s a promise.
Crafted from some of the lowest-yielding vines on our Rutherford estate, just across from the famed Beckstoffer Georges III vineyard, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a tribute to legacy and lineage. This wine stands as a symbol of our enduring commitment to the land, to Rutherford, and to the generations who came before, and those still to come.
Its name is inspired by a restored 18th-century chapel from Nova Scotia, now nestled in our private family garden. Saved from demolition and rebuilt by railcar, the chapel is a quiet sanctuary that honors the sacred bonds of love, family, and tradition.
Structured, expressive, and darkly elegant, The Vow is defined by velvety tannins and a deep sense of place. It’s a wine that speaks to devotion — in winemaking, in heritage, and in heart.
Accolades
“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Series The Vow is the most delicate and reserved of the Gravel Series wines...the tannins are quite supple, while the fruit profile is much more red-leaning. It's a fascinating wine...Ripe red fruit, blood orange and pomegranate are all pushed forward." - 95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Pencil shavings, black cherries and cassis swirl about on the nose of Round Pond's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon The Vow... It's a selection from the southeastern corner of their Rutherford property, aged 20 months in 85% new French oak. Medium to full-bodied, it's richly concentrated and tightly knit, with a silky feel on the palate and a lingering, softly dusty finish." - 95 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
Opening floral aromas of violet, lavender, and rose petal mingle with a luscious dark fruit note and a hint of dried herbs. Enticing flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and plum spread across the palate with a lingering note of cocoa and oak. Well-structured with smooth & supple tannins, this dynamic wine will continue to age for the next 20+ years.
Vineyard Notes
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. We farm these individual vines with great care throughout the season to produce this deeply concentrated and intensely structured wine.
Winemaker Notes
The 2021 vintage was marked by a second season of drought. The temperatures remained relatively mild, but the dry conditions resulted in smaller, more concentrated grapes with lighter yields and one of the earliest harvest windows to date. Our Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varieties are planted on loose, alluvial soils derived from the volcanic Vaca Mountains, and our “California sprawl” trellis systems provide excellent vine balance and diverse sun exposures.
Technical Details
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Rutherford
- Vintage:
- 2021
- Case Production:
- 9 barrels
