On occasion, when we serve a French wine with dinner, we are disappointed. This is especially true if we have tasted the same wine in France. Tasting wine in the region where it is produced, well... that's a horse of a different color. So it was with white wines of the Rhône; we had never been enthusiasts. However, after spending a couple of weeks in Provence, tasting scads of local wines, we changed horses in midstream and were anxious to produce wine from the same varieties at Navarro. The white wines, frequently blends of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier, astounded us with their rich texture and generous mouth-feel. During the 2012 harvest, we produced wines from Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier grapes. In the spring, we selected a blend of about two thirds Roussanne and one third Marsanne, a ratio that was maintained in our 2013 and this 2014 White Roan vintage. Naming a wine “67% Roussanne and 33% Marsanne” is a mouthful so we horsed around and decided to name it White Roan, in honor of a white horse we had met next to a gypsy wagon in France.
Chris Spazek and Ulises Garcia filling barrels. This wine was produced from Roussanne and Marsanne grapes harvested from Bonofiglio Vineyards and aged six months in seasoned French oak barrels
In 2015, the grower who provided the Roussanne and Marsanne grapes, sold them to a larger winery. No use beating a dead horse; this is the final appearance of White Roan. So saddle up and fill your cellar with the lavish nutty texture, whiffs of white flowers and opulent mouthfeel of this purebred filly. Gold Medal winner.
Bill Mitchell tasting and rating white wine during a weekday morning staff tasting. A typical blending tasting involves four to six wines; the various sample bottles are marked only with a number as the contents aren't disclosed in these "blind" tastings until everyone has voted.
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This wine was produced from Roussanne and Marsanne grapes harvested from Bonofiglio Vineyards and aged six months in seasoned French oak barrels 
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Bill Mitchell tasting and rating white wine during a weekday morning staff tasting. A typical blending tasting involves four to six wines; the various sample bottles are marked only with a number as the contents aren't disclosed in these "blind" tastings until everyone has voted. 