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Iruai

Oh-Mah Mondeuse 2018

Price: $33.95
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Tasting notes

Mondeuse is one of the rarest grapes in California, and this is one of very few varietal bottlings in the state. It delivers exactly what the grape promises: crunchy dark fruit, a firm kick of black pepper, earthy leather notes, and bright acidity that keeps the whole thing alive on the palate. At 12.5% ABV it drinks more like a Savoie alpine red than anything typical of California.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
BlackberryBlack PepperEarthTobacco
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; deep ruby-purple; dark fruit, black pepper, leather, earth; 12.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Mondeuse Noire; California fruit, 2018 gypsy-era sourcing; Sierra Foothills, decomposed granite and volcanic soils
  • Winemaking: No additives; no fining; no filtration; low sulfites; natural fermentation; minimal intervention
  • Serving: Serve at 60-62F; 20-30 min decant optional
  • Pairing: Venison, wild boar, duck, aged hard cheese, charcuterie, herb-roasted mushrooms
  • Similar To: For fans of Trousseau, cool-climate Syrah, or Jura reds who want something rare from California

Iruai's Oh-Mah Mondeuse is 100% Mondeuse Noire sourced from California fruit during Chad Hinds' gypsy winemaking era under the Methode Sauvage label. The 2018 vintage was produced before Hinds and his wife Michelle permanently relocated to Scott Valley in Siskiyou County, a period when he was still drawing on vineyards across the state to explore alpine varieties that rarely appear in California.

Mondeuse Noire is an ancient red grape native to the Savoie region of eastern France, genetically related to Syrah through a shared parent, Mondeuse Blanche. It produces deeply colored, high-acid wines with firm tannins and a flavor profile spanning dark cherry, blackberry, black pepper, and leather. At 12.5% ABV, this version stays lean and food-driven, retaining the grape's characteristic tension between ripe blue fruit and savory, mineral edges.

The wine is made with minimal intervention: no additives, no fining, no filtration, low added sulfites. Hinds' approach in the cellar is to shepherd each ferment through its own natural development without stripping character. The result is a wine that reads as dark and spicy but finishes fresh, closer to a cool-climate red than a warm California Zinfandel despite sharing some of the same Sierra Foothills geography.

Calaveras County sits within the Sierra Foothills AVA, east of San Francisco in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Vineyards in this area benefit from warm days, significant diurnal temperature swings, and well-draining soils of decomposed granite and volcanic rock that push vines toward concentrated, structured fruit.

Mondeuse's black pepper, firm tannins, and high acidity make it a natural match for game meats like venison, wild boar, or duck. It also works well alongside aged hard cheeses, charcuterie, and herb-forward dishes. Serve slightly cool, around 60-62F, to keep the fruit bright and the acidity in focus.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Mondeuse
Farming:, Sustainable
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:, 12.5%
Country:, United States
Region:, Calaveras County, 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

Iruai

Iruai, pronounced 'ear-oo-eye,' was started in 2013 by Chad and Michelle Westbrook Hinds in Berkeley, California, initially under the label Methode Sauvage. The project began as a gypsy winemaking operation, sourcing fruit from across the state and working out of an urban cooperative while Hinds explored varieties including Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, and Syrah. The 2018 Oh-Mah Mondeuse was produced during this phase, before the label's focus fully shifted to alpine varieties.

The pivot toward alpine viticulture was driven by Hinds' affinity for the wines of Savoie and Jura, particularly rare grapes like Trousseau, Savagnin, Mondeuse, and Poulsard. In 2018, the couple began planting a vineyard in Scott Valley in Siskiyou County, just south of the Oregon border and northwest of Mount Shasta, using permaculture methods informed by the teachings of Masanobu Fukuoka. They relocated permanently in December 2019 and formally adopted the Iruai name, taken from the earliest recorded name for Scott Valley.

In the cellar, Hinds works without additives and without removing character through fining or filtration. Fermentations follow their own natural development. The winery also sources fruit from leased vineyards in the Trinity Lakes AVA and Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley, maintaining an exploratory approach to variety and site while building out estate plantings in Siskiyou County.

Wine region

Calaveras County, California, United States

Calaveras County lies within the Sierra Foothills AVA, situated in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains roughly 75 miles inland from San Francisco. Vineyards in the county sit at elevations ranging from 500 to over 3,000 feet, giving the region significant diurnal temperature variation: hot summer days followed by cool nights and evening breezes off the mountains. That swing helps grapes retain acidity and develop concentration simultaneously.

The soils of Calaveras County are a mix of decomposed granite, volcanic rock, and sandy loam. Low fertility is common across the Sierra Foothills AVA, which pushes vines to develop deep root systems and produce small yields of concentrated fruit. The county has no dedicated sub-AVA but falls under the broader Sierra Foothills designation established in 1987. Zinfandel dominates plantings regionally, but Rhone and Italian varieties also perform well in this hot-day, cool-night continental environment. Rare alpine varieties like Mondeuse are virtually uncharted here.

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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