A Classic Revisited: Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay Still Delivers
/Noughty Alcohol-Free Sparkling Chardonnay, 93 points
If you’ve been around the non-alcoholic space awhile, you’ll probably wonder why I’m reviewing this very specific sparkling wine. It’s not a new product, by any means, but it’s a serious classic in need of revisiting. For the uninitiated, this is a bottle we always recommend as a must-try for anyone dipping their toe in the non-alcoholic wine market.
Noughty Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay is produced by Thomson & Scott (a U.K. company) in Germany. It was first released in the UK in 2020 with its sister product a sparkling rose. The brand made its mark as one of the first premium non-alcoholic sparkling wines available in the world, by virtue of its quality and proximity to real sparkling wine at a time when most dealcoholized liquids tasted like grape juice.
My favourite part of the story of Noughty’s world domination is the indomitable spirit of its founder Amanda Thomson who I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting in London in 2023. From a seed of an idea, she has helped get Noughty farther and in more places than any other non-alcoholic wine brand out there. You can currently find Noughty in dozens of 5-star hotels around the globe, in several first-class airport lounges and on-board first class flights, in most UK grocery chains and at celebrity parties here and at home.
The Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay is the anchor product of their line of five non-alcoholic wine styles. Coming in at only 3g of sugar per glass, it’s a lot healthier than some of the other non-alcoholic bubbly out there (added sugar in non-alcoholic wine can be as high as 20g per glass sometimes, so make sure you’re reading labels!)
Did You Know?:
Sparkling wine is most often a blend of various grape varietals, with the most common varietal being chardonnay. It’s also one of the three primary grape varieties used in Champagne - legally to be labelled as Champagne, wine from that region must be grown within the region and must be made with chardonnay grapes grown in the Champagne province. Chardonnay grapes are not native to Germany, and only officially grown there since 1991. The grape lends itself well to non-alcoholic sparkling wine, and can be found in a lot of premium non-alcoholic white blends (both still and sparkling).
Appearance and Aroma
When you pop the cork on a delightfully chilled bottle of Noughty, it pours a pale golden straw colour with a nice visible effervescence. On the nose, the aroma is very faint which is lovely and speaks to the lightness of the wine itself.
Taste
On the palate, you’ll recognize the familiar green apple and citrus zing typical of cooler climate chardonnay styles, with a hint of stone fruit. The acidity carries all the way through from front to back and helps elongate the light finish.
The texture is soft and creamy, definitely more in the crémant style than traditional fizzy ‘champagne’. This is actually my preferred style anyway and I’ve always been a sucker for wines with creamy bubbles.
What to pair with Noughty Non-Alcoholic Sparkling
Noughty is a great option for sipping on by itself or with light appetisers. It’s a great sparkler for fruit and cream based dessert as it’s not overly sweet and complements the texture of these treats. It doesn’t pair overly well with chocolate, unfortunately, but to each their own. A great crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Where to Buy Noughty in both the U.S. and Canada
You can find Noughty through almost all online non-alcoholic retailers in North America, and in-store at select specialty stores (Boisson or Spirited Away) or at specialty grocery retailers.
How I score wines (based on IWSC standards):
95 to 100 - An excellent drink with a great personality. An example that stands out among its peers
90 to 94 - An accomplished drink with considerable personality, character and complexity. A classic example of its style or variety.
85 to 89 - A perfectly well-made drink which provides an enjoyable drinking experience.
80 to 84 - An acceptable but simple drink, lacking distinction.
