2018 Round Pond ‘Kith & Kin’ Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

TP93 Not only does this come across like a much more expensive Napa Valley Cab, but it is exceedingly approachable – especially for its youth. A splash of juicy black raspberry and plum engage with dark chocolate tannins – and with a slight grainy quality, a textural delight. High-toned acidity puts a light on savory notes of briar, sandalwood and black tea. (Tasting Panel)
WS90 This red delivers vivid plum and blackberry fruit, with polished edges and light violet and anise hints in the background. Remains unencumbered by toast notes, so the fruit sails on nicely.

Estate Notes: Beautifully complex and soft aromatics of violets, cola, ripe fig and plum linger on the nose. The generous entry opens with bright, ripe blackberry and boysenberry, softening through the mid-palate with black cherry, cocoa, and allspice. Notes of licorice and tarragon on the finish lead to fine-grained tannins that effortlessly round this young, yet so approachable Cabernet.

This wine is approachable in its youth, with balanced tannins and a fruit-forward character. The vast majority of fruit comes from our estate, supplemented by a limited amount from Napa Valley growers.

2018 vintage had a near-perfect growing season that began in late February. Spring was mild, with extended flowering yielding uniform grape clusters. Steady, warm temperatures made for a cool, unhurried harvest, and our healthy leaf canopies, allowed the fruit to hang longer and ripen very slowly on the vine. Harvest began with our Sauvignon Blanc in late August wrapped the first week of November with our Cabernet Sauvignon. The extended time on the vine and the temperate weather gave a fantastic concentration of ripe flavor and density to the grapes along with high acidity in the wines, resulting in a vintage with natural balance and finesse.

Kith & Kin – Old English for Friends & Family – is a Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from all cor- ners of the Napa Valley but with its heart rooted in Rutherford. This fruit driven Cab is beautifully balanced with a supple entry of bright red fruits, followed by rich dark fruit flavors, and finishing with hints of cocoa dust and cherry tobacco pipe.

From consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers-Brown