text: We produced White Roan, a Roussanne-Marsanne blend, for three years from 2012 through 2014. Bonofiglio Vineyard was then owned in part by Glenn McGourty, Mendocino Viticulture & Plant Science Advisor Emeritus. We enjoyed producing wine from his organically farmed grapes and when fruit from an outside vineyard makes excellent wine we don't horse around—we are forthright about praising the grower in our newsletter. It was disappointing, but not a surprise, when another winery with deeper pockets offered to pay substantially more for the grapes in 2015.
  Glenn McGourty owns Spirit Canyon Vineyards where he farms organically.
  Wild Camargue horses, an ancient breed in that magical part of France where the Rhône River runs into the sea. They gave us an idea for the name we chose for this wine.
  The winery, whose specialty was Chardonnay, produced a Rhône-style wine for several years and the wine sold well. So well in fact, that it was cutting into their Chardonnay sales. Their solution? Quit making the wine folks preferred! Go figure. Recently Glenn bought out his partner, changed the name of the vineyard to Spirit Canyon and, beginning in 2022, started sharing the fruit from the vineyard with Navarro and another small producer. The two varieties were harvested on the same day and the juices were cool-fermented together as one wine. After aging in a French oak oval and barrels the wine was bottled in June 2023. The payoff is a wine with a personality as bright as a summer day, boasting hints of tropical fruit suggesting pineapple, pear and zesty citrus, all tied up with a crisp, dry finish. It's a sip of sunshine and a dash of magic in a bottle.
  Gold Medal winner. 91 points.