Round Pond Pool from above

2023 Gravel Series ‘The Vow’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Member Price: $225 – $250

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.

We dedicate this wine to our siblings, with whom we walk through life and strive to make a difference for the next generation.

The Gravel Series wines are the pinnacle of our portfolio. These block-designate Cabernet Sauvignons are sourced from three unique gravel microsites across our Rutherford Estate and Oakville M-Bar properties—chosen for their ability to produce wines of exceptional power, elegance, and distinction. Crafted in extremely limited quantities, these wines are available exclusively through the winery.

Accolades

"....offers killer aromatics of cassis and blue fruits intermixed with lead pencil, violets, and darker chocolate...focused, precise, and structured ...full-bodied and concentrated, with building tannins and a great finish." - 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck

"Ripe and concentrated, with a long, softly tannic finish, this is impressive stuff off the winery's Rutherford property." - 95+ points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

"The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Series The Vow is superb. Dark, layered and resonant in the glass, the Vow offers up copious dark fruit, new leather, incense, tobacco, licorice and mocha." - 95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous 

Tasting Notes

The Vow is effusively aromatic with violet, lavender, and dried tea leaf rising above layers of blueberry, boysenberry, blackberry, and black cherry. Grippy, refined tannins frame a dense, rich mid-palate, while herbaceous notes of tobacco and sage lend structure beneath the fruit. A hint of dust and licorice add depth, and the finish is long, closing with a touch of pepper. Drink 2027–2045.

Vineyard Notes

The 2023 vintage marked the end of our three-year drought, bringing nearly 30” of rainfall that contributed to the revitalization of our soil profiles and fostering robust canopy growth. The vintage was one of the mildest in the last 10 years which provided a long hangtime, allowing full flavor development leading to very expressive flavors and aromas. As soon as the fruit set after flowering, extensive hand work began in the vineyard opening the canopy to allow for full sun exposure on the fruit. This leads to full, concentrated flavor and ensures the fruit is as expressive as possible. The 2023 vintage will be one for the ages and we feel these wines truly capture the exceptional year.

Winemaker 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.

Technical Details

Type:
Red
Varietal:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:
California
Appellation:
Rutherford
Vintage:
2023
Case Production:
10 barrels