Round Pond Estate sits at 875 Rutherford Road in the center of Rutherford, where the MacDonnell family has farmed for over 40 years. The estate produces ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford and Oakville soils — including the critically acclaimed Gravel Series, with individual bottlings earning 95-96 points from Wine Advocate and Vinous — alongside a rare estate olive oil program using Italian varietals pressed in an on-site frantoio within hours of harvest. Now run by the second generation of the MacDonnell family, Round Pond is as much a culinary destination as a wine estate, with Estate Chef Fernando Arias leading food experiences that are shaped entirely by what grows on the property.

The MacDonnell Family and 40 Years in Rutherford

Round Pond Estate was established by Bob MacDonnell and his family, who recognized that the gravelly Rutherford Bench soils were among the finest in the world for Cabernet Sauvignon. Over four decades of farming, the family built both the wine program and the estate infrastructure — including the olive mill, culinary gardens, and guest facilities — that make Round Pond one of the more complete estate experiences in Napa Valley.

Bob MacDonnell passed away in 2021 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His children, who now run the estate, created the Honouren wine program in his memory — donating 10% of proceeds from each bottle to the Alzheimer’s Association. Since its launch, Honouren has raised more than $595,000 for Alzheimer’s research, with a 2026 goal of $160,000. The family’s commitment to honoring their father’s values — people above everything, stewardship of the land, and generosity toward their community — is visible in every part of how the estate is run.

The Gravel Series: Rutherford Cabernet at Its Peak

The Gravel Series is Round Pond’s most limited and critically acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon program. Drawn from distinctive gravel streaks running through the estate vineyards — deposits left by ancient river flows that give each block its own drainage, temperature regulation, and mineral character — the individual Gravel Series bottlings each express a different facet of the Rutherford and Oakville terroir.

Recent releases include the Scholar’s Gate (96 points, Wine Advocate), Secret Garden (96 points, Vinous), and The Vow (95 points, Wine Advocate), each at $250 per bottle and highly allocated. These are collector wines built for the cellar as well as the table, with the structure and concentration that Rutherford gravel soils produce when yields are carefully managed and harvest timing is precise. The Gravel Series sits at the top of a portfolio that also includes the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller-lot wines under the Kith and Kin label.

Estate Olive Oil: Frantoio, Leccino, and Pendolino from Rutherford

What separates Round Pond from virtually every other Napa Valley winery is its estate olive oil program — one of the most serious in California. The orchards are planted to Italian varietals (Frantoio, Leccino, and Pendolino) selected for the specific flavor profiles they produce at Rutherford latitude and elevation. The olives are harvested at peak ripeness and pressed in Round Pond’s own frantoio — an Italian-style olive mill — within hours of picking, a time-critical process that preserves the fresh, grassy, peppery character of truly great extra-virgin olive oil.

The result is a line of olive oils that are sold alongside the wines and used throughout the culinary experiences at the estate. Estate Chef Fernando Arias incorporates them into every dish, from the artisan charcuterie boards served with tastings to the four-course menus of the Il Pranzo pairing experience. The combination of estate wine, estate olive oil, and a working culinary garden makes Round Pond a genuinely farm-to-table destination.

Visiting Round Pond: Wine, Olive Oil, and Culinary Experiences

Round Pond is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment at 875 Rutherford Road. Experiences range from the Portfolio Estate Tasting — a seated current-release flight with vineyard and Mayacamas Mountain views ($60) — to the Vino and Olio experience, which pairs estate olive oils with a curated wine flight and artisan charcuterie ($155), to the Cabernet Collectors Experience, a deep dive into the Gravel Series and Bovet Reserve wines with petite bites ($125).

The flagship experience is Il Pranzo, a four-course pairing lunch crafted by Estate Chef Fernando Arias. The menu follows the season and the garden — whatever was harvested that morning shapes the afternoon — and each course is matched to a Round Pond wine ($225). This is not a marketing exercise but a genuine culinary experience from an estate that grows its own food, presses its own oil, and makes its own wine. For guests who take wine and food seriously, Round Pond is one of the most rewarding stops in the Rutherford AVA.

Round Pond Estate: Frequently Asked Questions