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Primal Wine Mono

Primal Volcanic Zinfandel 2023

$28.00

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Style: Dry, medium to full-bodied red with bold aromatics and chewy tannins
Grapes & Terroir: 100% Zinfandel from Mount Konocti, Lake County; CCOF-certified organic vineyard on volcanic soils at high elevation
Winemaking: Direct-pressed, native yeast fermentation, bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfites
Serving Temperature & Decanting: Serve at 60–65°F; brief decanting of 20–30 minutes opens the aromatics
Pairing: Barbecue brisket
Similar To: Primitivo from Puglia, Italy, or Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel; shares the ripe berry fruit and peppery spice typical of warm-climate Zinfandel

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Tasting notes

Deep ruby with magenta highlights. Blackberry compote, boysenberry, smoked black pepper, and crushed basalt on the nose. The palate delivers juicy black cherry, plum jam, charred sage, and dark cocoa, with grippy yet refined tannins and vibrant acidity. Finishes with a smoky mineral lift.

Food pairings

Texas-style brisket, pizza margherita, grilled lamb chops, beef tacos, aged pecorino, mushroom risotto, spiced pork ribs

Product description

Primal Volcanic Zinfandel 2023 comes from a CCOF-certified organic vineyard perched atop Mount Konocti in Lake County, California. This dormant volcano, which last erupted 11,000 years ago, provides iron-rich volcanic soils that impart distinctive mineral character to the grapes. Winemaker Jack Sporer of Fres.co direct-presses the fruit and bottles the wine unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfites. Primal Volcanic Zinfandel 2023 delivers a medium to full-bodied profile with bold aromatics and chewy tannins—a versatile red that bridges the gap between structured Cabernet and lighter Grenache styles.

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Zinfandel
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2023
Alcohol:, 11.9%
Country:, United States
Region:, California
Appellation:, NA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Low Sugar, Zero Added Sugar

These information are correct to the best of our knowledge. We talk to natural wine producers, importers, and distributors on a regular basis; should you notice discrepancies, please let us know and we will fix them right away.

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

Primal Wine Mono

Primal Wine Mono is a collaboration series bringing together Primal Wine with winemakers who share a commitment to organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. The Primal Volcanic Zinfandel 2023 is produced by Jack Sporer of Fres.co, a Sonoma County-based natural wine producer with deep roots in California viticulture.

Jack Sporer is a Sonoma native who honed his craft working harvests around the world before returning to California to establish Fres.co in 2019. He also owns and operates Magnolia Wine Services in Sonoma, a custom crush facility that has become a central hub for natural winemakers in the region. The collaborative environment at Magnolia allows producers to share knowledge and resources while maintaining individual approaches to winemaking.

For this bottling, Sporer sources fruit from a CCOF-certified organic vineyard on Mount Konocti in Lake County. The high-elevation site, planted on volcanic soils from the mountain's eruption 11,000 years ago, produces grapes with concentrated flavors and natural acidity. The winemaking follows Fres.co's core philosophy: direct-pressing to preserve freshness, fermentation with native yeasts, and bottling without fining or filtration. Only minimal sulfites are added at bottling.

Fres.co sources exclusively from organically and regeneratively farmed vineyards across California. The project emphasizes the grower's role in wine quality, featuring vineyard sources prominently on every label. Whether working with dry-farmed sites in Sonoma Valley or volcanic-soil vineyards in Lake County, Sporer seeks out growers who prioritize soil health and sustainable practices.

The Primal Volcanic Zinfandel sits between the collaboration's structured Primal Old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon and the lighter Primal 100-year-old Grenache, offering versatility for a range of food pairings. Browse the full Fres.co x Primal Cali Red Wine and explore the best-sellers collection at Primal Wine.

Wine region

California, United States

Lake County sits north of Napa and Sonoma in California's North Coast, distinguished by some of the youngest volcanic soils in the state. The region takes its name from Clear Lake, a volcanic caldera lake at the center of the Clear Lake Volcanic Field. Two volcanoes dominate the landscape: Cobb Mountain (4,724 feet) and Mount Konocti (4,285 feet), both hosting vineyards on their slopes.

Mount Konocti last erupted approximately 11,000 years ago, blanketing the surrounding area in ash and pyroclastic debris. Vineyards throughout the region contain remnants of this activity, including obsidian ranging from small fragments to substantial boulders. The 300,000-year-old volcano is classified as dormant, though sporadic volcanic-type earthquakes and numerous hot springs confirm ongoing geological activity beneath the surface.

The volcanic soils here are well-drained, deep red, and rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium. Vineyards sit at elevations between 1,000 and 3,000 feet, benefiting from significant diurnal temperature variation—warm days promote ripening while cool nights preserve acidity and enhance flavor complexity. Lake County receives approximately 10 percent more UV exposure than sea-level vineyards, encouraging thicker grape skins and greater tannin development.

The Red Hills Lake County AVA, established in 2004 on the slopes of Mount Konocti, and High Valley AVA showcase particularly pronounced volcanic character. Zinfandel, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Rhône varieties like Syrah and Grenache, thrives in these challenging conditions. The difficult terrain and mineral-rich soils produce wines with firm structure, bright acidity, and distinctive savory qualities.

Explore wines from California's volcanic terroir and beyond in the California natural wine collection at Primal Wine, or discover more red natural wines.

Frequently asked question

When is my order shipping?

We are doing your best to ship your order in 2-3 business days.

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.

Do I have to sign upon delivery?

Yes, someone 21 years or older must sign for the package.

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.

What if I miss a delivery?

Worry not, we have options, but please read carefully.

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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