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Gearhead Wines

Princess Syrah 2020

Price: $25.95
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Tasting notes

Carbonic maceration on Syrah produces something genuinely unexpected: crunchy black cherry and red plum with softened tannins, lifted by natural effervescence and a backbone of firm acidity. At 12% ABV it drinks light and fast, closer to a chillable Lambrusco than anything from the Northern Rhône.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Black CherryPlumRaspberryBlack Pepper
  • Style: Sparkling red pet'nat; 100% Syrah; semi-carbonic maceration; Nevada County, California; 12% ABV; zero-zero
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Syrah; organically farmed; Nevada County, Sierra Foothills AVA; decomposed granite and volcanic soils
  • Winemaking: Semi-carbonic maceration 7 days, punch downs, pressed day 15; bottled un-disgorged; unfined, unfiltered; no added sulfur
  • Serving: Serve well-chilled (45-50F); no decant needed; crown cap
  • Pairing: Pizza, charcuterie, aged cheddar, Korean barbeque, anything fried
  • Similar To: For fans of Lambrusco or chillable carbonic reds who want a California take on sparkling red

The Princess Syrah 2020 is a pétillant naturel from Gearhead Wines, made from organically farmed Syrah grown in Nevada County within California's Sierra Foothills AVA. Winemaker Craig West used semi-carbonic maceration, fermenting whole clusters for seven days before moving to punch downs, then pressing on day fifteen. The wine was bottled un-disgorged with nothing added — no sulfites, no fining, no filtration — a true zero-zero pet'nat.

Carbonic maceration softens the tannins and pulls out vivid red and black fruit character while preserving bright acidity. The result is a lightly sparkling red that sits closer in spirit to a Lambrusco than to a conventional Syrah — lifted, juicy, and dry, with the natural effervescence carrying the fruit forward on the palate.

Craig West works out of Noel Diaz's Richmond facility under the Gearhead label, sourcing organic fruit from small growers across Northern California. He makes tiny lots, all foot-tread, all without added sulfur. The Princess label artwork was drawn by his daughter, who charged him $50 for the rights.

Serve well-chilled with pizza, burgers, or anything off the grill. The high acid and light body make it a natural cut through fatty, salty foods. Works well with charcuterie, aged cheddar, or spicy Korean barbeque.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Sparkling Wine
Wine Style:, Sparkling
Grapes:, Syrah
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, 12%
Country:, United States
Region:, California
Appellation:, Sierra Foothills AVA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Gearhead Wines

Gearhead Wines is the project of Craig West, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. West came to winemaking through an unlikely path: he worked as a fisherman and as a baker for Acme Bread before meeting Noel Diaz of Purity Wines in Richmond, California. In 2016, Diaz invited him into an open-top fermenter to tread grapes — West made his first wine that same year in his garage.

West produces at Noel Diaz's Richmond facility and does not own any vineyards. He sources certified organic fruit from small growers across Northern California, including Mendocino, Contra Costa, and Nevada counties. All wines are foot-tread, made with carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration, unfined, unfiltered, and bottled without added sulfur.

The Princess series — pet'nats in multiple varieties — is Gearhead's most recognized line. The label illustration was drawn by West's daughter, who negotiated a $50 licensing fee. Production across all Princess cuvees is measured in double-digit case counts, making each vintage genuinely limited.

Wine region

California, United States

Nevada County sits within the Sierra Foothills AVA, which spans eight counties along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, lying roughly 40 miles east of Sacramento. Vineyards in the AVA range from 1,000 to over 3,500 feet in elevation, with significant diurnal temperature variation — warm days and cold nights driven by alpine airflow — that preserves acidity and extends the growing season. Soils are a mix of decomposed granite, volcanic rock, metamorphic material, and sandy loam, all well-drained and low in fertility.

The Sierra Foothills AVA was established in 1987 and includes sub-appellations such as El Dorado, Fiddletown, and the California Shenandoah Valley. Syrah accounts for roughly 560 acres of plantings across the broader AVA, making it one of the more significant Rhône varieties in the region alongside Viognier and Grenache. Nevada County specifically sees boutique producers working with Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon from mountain-elevation sites around the towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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