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La Clarine Farm

Mo-Ma 2017

Price: $23.95
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Tasting notes

Co-fermenting Mourvedre with Marsanne and a splash of Roussanne produces something that defies easy categorization: pale in color but savory and structured, with earthy cherry, fresh herbs, and a peppery mineral finish. At 10.5% ABV it is one of the more intellectually satisfying low-alcohol reds coming out of California.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
CherryEarthPlumBlack Pepper
  • Style: Pale red, light-bodied co-ferment; earthy cherry, herbs, pepper; 10.5% ABV; 257 cases
  • Grapes & Terroir: 61% Mourvedre, 32% Marsanne, 7% Roussanne; co-fermented; Sierra Foothills volcanic and granitic soils; El Dorado County
  • Winemaking: Native yeast co-fermentation; neutral vessels; unfined and unfiltered; minimal SO2 at bottling only
  • Serving: Serve at 55-58F; no decant needed; evolves interestingly as it warms in the glass
  • Pairing: Grilled fish, roast chicken, wild mushrooms, fresh goat cheese, charcuterie
  • Similar To: For fans of light-bodied, savory reds who want something closer to a Bandol rose-red hybrid than a conventional California blend

Mo-Ma is short for Mourvedre-Marsanne, and the name tells you exactly what this wine is: a co-ferment of a red and a white grape from high-elevation Sierra Foothills vineyards. The 2017 blend is 61% Mourvedre, 32% Marsanne, and 7% Roussanne, the latter added because the Marsanne crop came in lighter than usual that year. Grapes were picked on September 21st at 18.5 Brix with a pH of 3.60. Only 257 cases were produced.

The color sits in an ambiguous zone between pale red and deep rose. On the nose: earthy and mineral, with cherry, vanilla, plum, and grape skin. On the palate it is light-bodied, savory, and herbal, with a core of fresh acidity. Very fine tannins appear at the finish alongside a peppery sensation. At 10.5% ABV, this is a low-alcohol wine with real structure.

The 2017 vintage in the Sierra Foothills was marked by lower alcohols and lower yields compared to the prior few years, which shows in the wine's restrained, precise character. Hank Beckmeyer ferments with native yeasts, uses neutral vessels, and bottles unfined and unfiltered with minimal added sulfur. The co-fermentation of red and white grapes is intentional, and the result drinks more like a savory, mineral-driven red than a conventional California blend.

Serve slightly chilled, around 55-58F, to bring out the spicy and herbal notes. The wine evolves noticeably as it warms in the glass.

The wine's light body, fresh acidity, and herbal savory character make it versatile at the table. It works well with grilled fish, roast chicken, wild mushroom dishes, and fresh cheeses. A slight chill makes it a good companion for charcuterie and light summer meals.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Mourvedre, Marsanne, Roussanne
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2017
Alcohol:, 10.5%
Country:, USA
Region:, Sierra Foothills
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

La Clarine Farm

Hank Beckmeyer and Caroline Hoel established La Clarine Farm in 2001 after settling in Somerset, El Dorado County, in the Sierra Foothills. The two met in the 1980s while Hank was touring Europe with the band Half Japanese. He left the tour and stayed in Europe with Caroline; over subsequent years, regular trips to the south of France and time spent with producers in Bandol shaped their understanding of what small-scale, minimal-intervention winemaking could produce. In 2001, they purchased their property at 2,600 feet elevation in Somerset and began planting vines.

The estate vineyard at La Clarine covers roughly 10 acres on a ridgetop at 2,600 feet. The home vineyard is planted primarily to Tempranillo along with Syrah, Tannat, Grenache, Negroamaro, Cabernet Sauvignon, and unidentified varieties that emerged from seeds in the compost. The vineyard was initially farmed biodynamically and certified for several years before evolving toward the methods of Japanese farmer-philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka, often described as 'do nothing' farming, in which the land is observed and minimally disturbed rather than intensively managed. For the Mo-Ma and other sourced wines, Hank purchases fruit from like-minded organic growers in the foothills.

Across all his wines, Beckmeyer uses native yeast fermentation, neutral vessels (including Flextanks and old oak puncheons), and no fining or filtration. Sulfur additions, if any, are kept minimal and applied only at bottling. The Mo-Ma is co-fermented, meaning the Mourvedre and white Rhone varieties go into the tank together rather than being vinified separately and blended afterward. Wines are bottled directly off the lees in some vintages.

Wine region

Sierra Foothills, USA

The Sierra Foothills AVA was officially established in 1987 and spans portions of seven California counties along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada range, running roughly 360 miles from north to south. Elevations across the region range from around 1,200 feet to over 3,500 feet, with most vineyards planted below 3,000 feet. The climate is Mediterranean in character: hot and dry summer days are tempered by significant diurnal swings, with cool nighttime air flowing down from the Sierra Nevada peaks. This temperature variation preserves acidity and slows ripening, which contributes to freshness in the finished wines.

El Dorado County, where La Clarine Farm is based, is one of the most important sub-regions within the Sierra Foothills AVA and received its own AVA designation in 1983. Soils here fall into three primary types: fine-grained volcanic rock, decomposed granite, and fine-grained shale, all of which drain well and keep vine vigor in check. The region is cooled by elevation rather than marine fog, giving grapes extended hang time and uniform ripening. While Zinfandel dominates plantings across the broader Sierra Foothills, El Dorado and neighboring areas have become increasingly significant for Rhone varieties including Mourvedre, Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne planted at high elevation on volcanic and granitic soils.

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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