This is our second harvest from Bonofiglio Vineyards; this field is planted exclusively to the white varietals of Southern France. Based on our 2012 cuvée, we decided to harvest the 2013 Marsanne a little less ripe to accentuate the blend's tart lip-smacking structure. Marsanne was the first variety we harvested from Navarro's section of the vineyard; we crushed and destemmed four tons on September 16. We waited two more weeks before we picked the more flavorful Roussanne. Since we had harvested the Marsanne with considerable acidity, we were able to pick the Roussanne at higher sugars than we did in 2012, to balance the Marsanne, while at the same time adding riper flavors.
Andres Favela fixing a problem with Navarro's refrigeration system. He is the whiz who keeps Navarro glued together. Andres is in charge of construction and maintenance but we're convinced that he can build or fix just about anything.
Blending wines is serious business at Navarro and a great way to start the day.
We harvested a little over seven tons on October 1. After destemming and pressing, the juice from both varieties was cool-fermented in stainless steel tanks, then racked to seasoned French oak puncheons (double sized barrels) to age and rest on lees for eight months. In April 2014, Navarro's tasting panel selected a cuvée of 67% Roussanne and 33% Marsanne; the wine was subsequently bottled in June. The Roussanne gives the blend nutty viscosity and the Marsanne contributes ringing clarity making this pony an interesting alternative to Chardonnay. In 2013, we were only able to produce about 60% of what we did in 2012 and we think this vintage is even better. Please order promptly. Gold Medal winner. Best of Class.
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Andres Favela fixing a problem with Navarro's refrigeration system. He is the whiz who keeps Navarro glued together. Andres is in charge of construction and maintenance but we're convinced that he can build or fix just about anything.
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