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Methode Sauvage

Moonstones Chenin Blanc 2018

Price: $29.95
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Tasting notes

This is Chenin Blanc from 44-year-old vines on limestone and schist in San Benito County, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfiltered at only 12% ABV. The texture is honeyed and generous but the finish pivots hard to saline and flint, a combination you rarely find in California whites at any price.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
HoneyFlintDried FlowersSea Salt
  • Style: Dry white; medium body; saline, floral, and honeyed; old-vine Chenin Blanc; 12% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Chenin Blanc; 44-year-old vines; Vista Verde Vineyard, San Benito County; limestone and schist soils; organically farmed
  • Winemaking: Direct press; indigenous yeast fermentation in neutral oak; natural MLF; no fining; no filtration; 20 mg/L SO2
  • Serving: Serve at 48-52F; no decanting needed; drink now through 2025
  • Pairing: Raw oysters, grilled fish, roast chicken, aged goat cheese, steamed clams
  • Similar To: For fans of Loire Chenin Blanc (Savennieres, Vouvray sec) who want a California expression with saline edge

Moonstones is 100% Chenin Blanc sourced from the Vista Verde Vineyard in San Benito County, a limestone-rich site in California's Central Coast. The vines average 44 years old, grown in limestone and schist soils, farmed organically, and harvested by hand. At 12% ABV, the wine comes in well under the California norm for white wine.

In the cellar, Chad Hinds uses direct press, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in neutral oak, followed by aging in neutral barrels. The wine goes through natural malolactic fermentation and is bottled with no fining, no filtration, and minimal added sulfites at 20 mg/L total.

On the nose: dried flowers, flint, and a pronounced sea breeze salinity. The palate is smooth and textured with a honeyed weight balanced by high acidity and a saline finish. The winemaker describes it as carrying a heavy amplification of acid, dried flowers, and sea breeze salinity.

Methode Sauvage sources Chenin Blanc from across California, and San Benito County's limestone soils and cool Pacific winds channeled through the Gabilan Mountains make it a natural fit for the variety. Chenin Blanc from old vines on limestone in this region reads nothing like the bulk Central Valley versions historically labeled as California Chablis.

The saline, high-acid character makes this a natural with raw oysters, steamed clams, or grilled fish with herb butter. It also holds up well alongside aged goat cheese or a simple roast chicken with lemon. Avoid rich, heavily oaked dishes that will compete with the wine's textural subtlety.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Chenin Blanc
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:, 12%
Country:, United States
Region:, San Benito County, California
Appellation:, San Benito County
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

Methode Sauvage

Methode Sauvage was started in 2013 by Chad Hinds, initially focused on finding a voice for California Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc sourced from vineyards across the state, including San Benito County, Russian River Valley, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The project was run as a nomadic winemaking operation, purchasing fruit rather than owning vines in these early years.

In spring 2018, Hinds began planting a home vineyard in Siskiyou County in northern California's Klamath Mountains at approximately 3,000 feet elevation, using permaculture principles drawn from the work of Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka. The winery has since rebranded as Iruai, though the Methode Sauvage label appeared on wines including the Moonstones Chenin Blanc through the 2018 and 2019 vintages.

For the Moonstones, Hinds works with organically farmed fruit hand-harvested from the Vista Verde Vineyard in San Benito County. Winemaking is interventionist in the minimal sense: direct press, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in neutral oak, natural malolactic fermentation, no fining, no filtration, and 20 mg/L added SO2 at bottling.

Wine region

San Benito County, California, United States

San Benito County sits inland from Monterey Bay, surrounded by the Gabilan and Diablo mountain ranges. It is the only landlocked county within California's Central Coast AVA, yet its climate is moderated by Pacific breezes that push through gaps in the Gabilan Mountains. Vineyards across the county range in elevation from 1,000 to 2,200 feet, driving slow ripening and strong acid retention even in warmer years.

The county contains seven AVAs including Cienega Valley, Lime Kiln Valley, Mount Harlan, and Paicines. Soils shift from granite to limestone within short distances due to millennia of seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault. Historic vineyard sites such as Vista Verde, Eden Rift, and Calera's Mount Harlan have supplied old-vine Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Mourvedre to some of California's most respected natural and small-production winemakers.

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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