Round Pond Estate

Located in the heart of the Napa Valley, for more than a century the Rutherford region has been recognized for producing red wines of incomparable opulence and elegance. Although measuring a mere six square miles, this coveted winegrowing area is home to some of the oldest and most storied wineries in the United States. Within this community, we are neighbored by such acclaimed wineries as Beaulieu Vineyards, Caymus, Cakebread, Honig and Frog’s Leap.
 

Offering a unique mix of microclimate and soil composition, Rutherford has proven ideal for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as premium Italian and Spanish olives. Offering abundant sunshine, warm daytime temperatures and only moderate cooling influences, Rutherford yields fruit with ripe, robust character. Adding to this character is Rutherford’s unique alluvial soils deposited over millennia by the Napa and Russian rivers as well as the Conn Creek. These vibrant and diverse soils add to the region’s rich palette of flavors.

Situated at the main Rutherford crossroads, between Beaulieu Vineyards and Caymus Winery, Round Pond has been growing premium winegrapes since the early 1980s. Cultivated with meticulous care, our grapes have been sold to several of the most preeminent wineries in the region. Recognizing our estate’s ecological diversity, we also undertook the planting of several varieties of imported Italian and Spanish olive trees for the production of premium oils. Because we are passionate about offering the finest gourmet items from the gifts nature has given us we constructed a state-of-the art-mill to ensure absolute quality in the production of our artisan oils.
 

In addition, using a small selection of extraordinary grapes from our vineyard’s 362 planted acres, Round Pond has established an acclaimed estate wine program focusing on world-class Cabernet Sauvignon produced in extremely limited quantities. Made in conjunction with our super-premium estate wines, we also produce prized red wine vinegars using the revered Orleans Method.
 

About the name Round Pond - As a child, founder Bob MacDonnell spent many summers relaxing and camping by the water near Lake Frederick in West Point, New York. Named Round Pond, this source of idyllic youthful memories became the inspiration for the MacDonnell family’s Napa Valley home. Envisioned as a natural and serene retreat, Round Pond Estate is lovingly cultivated using sustainable methods to ensure its integrity for generations to come.

The Round Pond Estate is situated in the heart of Rutherford, California, an appellation that has been famous for its world-class red wines for more than a century. The property spans 357 acres of planted vineyards, including our Red Barn Ranch, Hill’s, Round Pond and MacDonnell vineyards. To maintain the integrity of the land and to ensure its continuing bounty for generations to come, we use only sustainable farming practices in our viticulture program.

Round Pond’s soils are extremely fertile due to deposits from alluvial outflows of the Conn Creek and Napa River that took place thousands of year ago. As a result, vine health is exceptional, and the vines grow vigorously in this unique appellation. To maintain vine balance and reduce yields – both key factors for quality – we limit each vine to two clusters per shoot, making certain that no two clusters even touch one another. In addition, we carefully work the canopy to establish a good ratio of sunlight to shade. To further control vine vigor we utilize advanced technology to monitor hydration levels in the soil. When we are within days of harvesting, our skilled vineyard workers (some of whom have almost 30 years of experience at Round Pond) hand inspect each vine to discard bad berries, or even entire clusters. As a result, when the fruit is finally picked it represents a meticulous selection of only the finest grapes.

Our vineyards have been planted to selections of elite clones including 337, 7 and 8, each carefully matched with the optimal soil, rootstock and trellising system. Soil types include gravelly and sandy clay loam, while our trellising systems incorporate Geneva Double Curtain, Fletcher Lyre, Split Canopy Lyre and Vertical Shoot Positioning. Vine age at Round Pond averages 10 to 15 years.

Finally, because we own our vineyards, our winemaker is in the fortuitous position of being able to initiate harvest at ideal levels of ripeness – an essential element in crafting wines with an elegantly voluptuous and drinkable style.

For more than a century, Napa Valley’s Rutherford region has been recognized for producing wines of rare depth and complexity, most notably rich and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. At Round Pond we pay tribute to the personality of our estate vineyards by crafting wines that reflect the charm and sophistication of this extraordinary appellation. Made from select blocks of our best estate fruit, our wines embody the essence of a terroir-inspired, Californian winemaking philosophy.

From our commitment to vine balance to our gentle winemaking approach, the wines of Round Pond Estate benefit from loving attention that includes small lot fermentation and patient aging. In the vineyard we harvest at peak ripeness, handsorting and destemming the fruit before applying a gentle press and cold soak. In order to extract rich colors, aromas and flavors, we emphasize extended maceration of the grapes.  Alongside these artisan techniques we also employ cutting-edge technology, like our custom-built fermentors, which continuously regulate temperature to within a fraction of a degree ensuring control and quality. Adding additional layers of depth and nuance, our barrel-aging program utilizes the very finest French oak coopers.

At Round Pond we believe that the best wines are born in the vineyard. Because we begin with some of the finest winegrapes in the world, as winemakers our goal is not to construct a personality for Round Pond wines, our aim is to allow each Round Pond wine to find its own expressive voice.