2018 Kith & Kin Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley by Round Pond 750 ml

The 2018 Kith & Kin is a standout version of a Cabernet that’s become a Wine Access member-favorite over the last three vintages, offering the same touch that makes Round Pond’s $70+ estate wines so special… for half the price. Throw in the outlandish quality of the 2018 Napa vintage, which Vinous rated 97 points, it’s easy to see why Wine Spectator called this Cab a “Smart Buy." For a bargain on Napa Cab quality, this one's tough to beat.

Napa insiders have always loved Round Pond’s wines, which draw from a manicured estate vineyard located between Caymus and Beckstoffer’s Georges III, the source of Schrader’s coveted $350 bottles. The Cabernets have always offered value that should be the envy of Round Pond's neighbors—and none delivers more bang for the buck than Kith & Kin.

Jeb Dunnuck praised the 2018’s value, declaring that it “shines incredibly well on its drinkability,” showing that Round Pond was successful in crafting a drink-now Cab with all of Round Pond’s character and quality. It pours a deep ruby-purple, with robust aromatics of plums, wild violets, and black currants practically leaping out of the glass. The palate is rich and powerful but surprisingly silky, with plenty of the cocoa-powdery Rutherford dust that we love. 

The recipe for Kith & Kin’s success comes into clear focus when you take a look at the vineyards that founder “Lucky Bob” MacDonnell has acquired over the years. MacDonnell was one of the original vineyard owners on the slopes of prestigious Pritchard Hill, before conquering 250 acres of Rutherford’s most valuable benchland in 1986. Those vineyards form the backbone of this wine, supplemented with dashes of Cabernet from favored sites across the valley, creating a wine that generates a clamor every vintage.

The wine is handled with the same attention to detail that makes Round Pond’s high-end wines so coveted. The grapes were allowed to hang on the vines until November in the cool, easy vintage, developing flavor and a silky texture, before fermentation and aging in 40% new French oak. No wonder The Tasting Panel declared that Kith & Kin “come[s] across like a much more expensive Napa Valley Cab.” That’s exactly how it’s treated, and that's how it drinks.