Sold Out
Subject to Change

Wild Child Carignane 2018

Price: $29.95
Enter your email address below to be notified when this product is back in stock.
Tasting notes

The Poor Ranch Carignane vines date to the early 1940s, dry-farmed on volcanic soils above Hopland, and that age and stress translate into concentration without excess weight. At 12.8% ABV with no added sulfur and no filtration, this is a genuinely transparent expression of an old-vine site that rarely gets this kind of winemaking attention.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
CherryCranberryEarthBlack Pepper
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; old-vine Carignane; volcanic soils above Hopland; 12.8% ABV; zero sulfur added
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Carignane; Poor Ranch Vineyard, Hopland hills, Mendocino County; certified organic, dry-farmed; vines planted early 1940s on St. George rootstock; volcanic soils
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; no additions or subtractions; unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur
  • Serving: Serve at 58-62F; 20-30 min decant recommended for a wine of this age
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, pork shoulder, lentil stew, aged manchego, dry jack, tomato-based pasta
  • Similar To: For fans of structured, high-acid reds like old-vine Carignan from Roussillon or Cotes du Rhone who want a California natural wine parallel

Wild Child Carignane comes entirely from Poor Ranch Vineyard, located in the eastern hills above Hopland in Mendocino County. The Poor family homesteaded this land in 1888, and their Carignane block — planted in the early 1940s on St. George rootstock — is among the oldest on the ranch. The vines are dry-farmed, head-trained without trellises, and certified organic. The ranch spans over 1,000 acres, with roughly 90 acres planted to wine grapes, including Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Carignane.

Subject to Change founder Alex Pomerantz sources exclusively from organic and biodynamic vineyards and makes the wines with no additions or subtractions in the cellar — no fining, no filtration, no added sulfur. Fermentation is with native yeasts. The Carignane is a single-vineyard, single-variety bottling at 12.8% ABV.

Carignane at elevation in the Hopland hills produces wines with firm natural acidity and structured tannin, balanced by red and dark fruit from the warm inland climate. The volcanic soils at Poor Ranch contribute a mineral thread that runs through the wine. This is a wine built for the table — food-friendly, higher-acid, and distinctly site-driven.

The firm acidity and moderate tannin make this a natural match for slow-braised lamb, pork shoulder, or lentil-based dishes. Works well with hard cheeses like aged manchego or dry jack. The wine's structure holds up to tomato-based pasta sauces and grilled sausages.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Carignane
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:, 12.8%
Country:, United States
Region:, Mendocino
Appellation:, Mendocino 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

Subject to Change

Subject to Change Wine Co. was founded in 2017 by Alex Pomerantz, working out of Oakland, California. Pomerantz moved to Northern California in 2011 for a harvest internship and stayed, building the project around single-vineyard wines sourced from organic and biodynamic growers, primarily in Mendocino County. At its peak the winery produced 20,000 cases annually and distributed across 15 countries. The winery ceased production in late 2025 following financial difficulties, including the loss of a major Whole Foods contract that had accounted for 20% of revenue.

Subject to Change sourced exclusively from certified organic or biodynamic vineyards and worked with farming consultant David Rothschild on viticultural practices. The winery did not own its own vineyards but maintained close relationships with growers, in several cases as the majority or sole buyer of a given block. All wines under the main label were single-vineyard expressions.

Winemaking at Subject to Change followed a strict no-additions, no-subtractions approach: native yeast fermentation, no fining, no filtration, and no added sulfur across the entire lineup without exception. Maceration techniques varied by wine and vintage, including whole-cluster work and semi-carbonic approaches depending on the variety and site. The Wild Child Carignane is a 100% varietal bottling at 12.8% ABV.

Wine region

Mendocino, United States

Mendocino County sits roughly 100 miles north of San Francisco within the North Coast AVA and hosts 13 nested sub-appellations across two climatically distinct corridors. The coastal western zone — anchored by Anderson Valley — is heavily fog-influenced and well suited to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. The warmer eastern corridor, running through Ukiah, Hopland, and Redwood Valley, is shielded from Pacific fog by the coastal range and produces robust reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and old-vine Mediterranean varieties including Carignane, Grenache, and Charbono. The Hopland area sits in this warmer inland zone, with inland sites seeing faster fog burn-off and more cumulative heat than coastal AVAs.

Mendocino County is a national leader in organic viticulture, with roughly 25% of its planted acreage certified organic — a legacy tied to Italian and other immigrant farming families who settled the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and preserved old-vine plantings that would otherwise have been lost. As of 2024, the county's 13 designated AVAs encompass approximately 17,000 acres of vineyards. Soils vary widely by location, ranging from alluvial loam and gravelly benchland along the Russian River to volcanic and Franciscan shale on hillside sites. The inland valleys are rated Region III on the Winkler scale, supporting full ripening of warm-climate red varieties while the shorter 268-day growing season (compared to 308 days in neighboring Sonoma) helps preserve natural acidity.

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.

This collection features our best selling natural wine from all around the world. It's the best place to start you natural wine journey! Browse one of the largest selections of natural wine available online in the United States.

Primal Wine Natural Wine Club is the best way to discover natural wine. Let us do the heavy-lifting, sit back, and relax. We will send you an ever-changing selection of natural wine made by top producers from around the world.

Our customers love Primal

I'm just copying and pasting from the hundreds messages we received, no pseudo reviews!
Erin C.

We love our membership so far and can't wait until our next shipment.

Jennifer B.

A note to say that we are loving the tasting notes sheet you’re sending!

James S.

I'm really happy to find Primal – your selections are terrific. 

Samuel M.

Love your company, always a great wine selection. 

Chelsea V.

I love what you guys do!

What Is | Primal Wine

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is a type of wine made in small batches from organic or biodynamic grapes with minimal intervention.
What Is Biodynamic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic wine is wine made from grapes farmed biodynamically. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach.
What Is Organic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is organic wine?

Organic wine is made with grapes farmed organically. Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming.
What Is Vegan Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is vegan wine?

Vegan wine is wine made without using animal products during the fining phase of the clarification process.