This 100% Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon hails from one of our estate’s most gravel-rich blocks, the northeastern section closest to the Vaca Mountains. This section features a gravel streak meandering through three blocks and is meticulously farmed and delivering lower yields of tiny berries. The dark, stony soils yield small, intensely flavored berries—resulting in the most structured wine in our pinnacle series.
Shipping Included for a Limited Time
Due to limited availability, we are offering you exclusive pre-release access through Sunday, September 14th — with shipping on us!
Pre-release orders will ship November 2025
Scholar’s Gate is for those who strive, who overcome, and who leave a mark.
“Round Pond’s Gravel Series wines, among the best of the 2022 vintage, continually stand out thanks to their well-positioned vineyards. These three wines are a testament to their mastery, yielding exceptional color, tannin, and structure.”
– Thomas Rivers Brown, Consulting Winemaker
“… Rich, opulent and expressive, the 2022 offers tons of Rutherford character. With no hard edges and very fine balance, it will be ready to drink upon release.”
– 94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Tasting Notes
A true expression of Rutherford Dust, this powerful wine is teeming with effusive notes of blackberry, black plum, chocolate, and a touch of rose petal. Elegant and full-bodied, this wine offers notes of black cherry, mulberry, and black currant on the palate with allspice and a hint of sweet oak. Fine-grained tannins lead to a long, lingering finish with a silky mouthfeel. This wine is cellar-worthy and will age gracefully for another 15-20 years.
Technical Information
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown & Jeff Plant
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Source: Red Barn Vineyard, Northeast portion of the Rutherford Estate
Aging: 20 months in 85% new French oak
Production: 13 barrels
Vintage Notes
The 2022 vintage was the third in a string of drought years. Despite the drought, there was well-timed spring rain that boosted the vines’ vigor allowing for nicely established canopies for both shade and photosynthesis. The weather remained relatively mild and even, with routine fog patterns cooling nighttime and morning temperatures. At Labor Day, a significant heat wave impacted the entire Western States. At Round Pond, we sustained some heat damage but mostly came out unscathed thanks to our healthy vine canopies and overhead sprinklers. Round Pond’s “California sprawl” trellis systems provide excellent vine balance and diverse sun exposures.
Vineyard Notes
Red Barn Vineyard, Rutherford Estate
The northeastern section of our Rutherford property, the Red Barn Vineyard, features a gravel streak meandering through three blocks. Meticulously farmed and delivering lower yields of tiny berries, these blocks produce beautifully concentrated flavors, rich aromatics, and ripe tannins.
Hear from our Winemaker, Jeff Plant, and Estate Sommelier, Scott Tracy, as they highlight how the distinctive soils, microclimates, and geography of our Red Barn Rutherford Estate Vineyard results in the creation of Scholar’s Gate Cabernet Sauvignon.
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. Futures allocations occur three times annually — Spring (Secret Garden), Summer (The Vow), and Fall (Scholars Gate). Wines ship upon release in October of the following year.
To explore this rare opportunity to become a Member of the Gravel Series Membership, please contact our Gravel Concierge. This exclusive membership is extremely limited.
gravelconcierge@roundpond.com | 707.302.2515