Pure Vision’s Non-Alcoholic Chardonnay Brings A New Uniqueness to the Table: review

Pure Vision 2021 Zero Chardonnay, 97 points

It’s my cross to bear, my quest of the ages…. To find a great non-alcoholic chardonnay that will replace my favourite bottles of crisp Australian or Ontario wines. To me, the bar is high because I was a purist and a wine snob when it came to that varietal. Of course I spent countless hours and dollars trying all the other styles of white wine, but always came back to chardonnay.

I’m happy to say that there are lots of options starting to arise out there. The Leitz chardonnay was a recent find that I loved, but the Pure Vision Zero Chardonnay is perhaps the most premium and the most unique that I’ve found. I did a happy dance after tasting this one!

The story of Pure Vision is quite interesting. The original family vineyard is located in South Australia, founded in 1969 by Greek immigrants who had emigrated there after WW2. With a little bit of viticulture knowledge based on Greek wine, Terry Carypidis grew the vineyard from a tiny tract of land, to a booming business in only a few decades. When his sons took over the business, they became one of the first vineyards in Australia to test and develop organic wine, and now all of the Pure Vision vineyards grow organic grapes. This includes their newly launched non-alcoholic wines, which join only one of two other wines in the space with true organic certification.

The shiraz from the Pure Vision line really stood out, but the chardonnay tops it in uniqueness and drinkability. The chardonnay varietal can take so many forms depending on where it's farmed and the vintage. The Pure Vision 2021 Zero Chardonnay certainly reflects many aspects of high-end white wine and the fact that there is no alcohol does not detract from the experience at all.

On the nose, there’s a nice lemony curd or waxy aroma. Not strong, like aromatic wine, but there’s always a loss in some aroma when dealcoholization happens.

On the palette, you immediately taste juicy stone fruit notes with a hint of tropical fruit. There’s just a teeny touch of citrus and acidity which is refreshing for a change. So many non-alcoholic white wines are highly acidic and citrusy to compensate for a lack of alcohol - most of the time it’s fine but it does get dull to open yet another citrus-forward non-alcoholic white.

There is a lovely waxiness in the mid-palette, which was a huge surprise. Many years ago, I often sought out waxiness in high-end wines, specifically Burgundy whites (if my memory of the varietal is incorrect, please email me!). Waxiness comes from malolactic fermentation or from aging on the lees. In the case of Pure Vision Zero, it’s most likely malolactic fermentation from aging the original wine in oak. This also explains why there’s a nice balance of acidity, as MLF helps counterbalance that.

There was no artificial sugar added in during the production process of this wine, which keeps the sweetness to a minimum and the sugar rating. It’s a measly 3.4g of sugar per 5oz glass which is a perfect level to maintain flavour and mouthfeel.

Overall, this wine is well-rounded and nicely balanced with some structure and a pleasant full mouthfeel. A hint of length at the end but just an echo.

This bottle would pair really nicely with a cranberry, brie and walnut crostini, or with apple braised pork and delicate green herbs such as tarragon or thyme. If you’re making a chicken piccata - this is what dreams are made of!

The Pure Vision 2021 Zero Chardonnay is fresh and round, and in my humble opinion, it’s just perfect for a dealcoholized Chardonnay.

How we score wines at Some Good Clean Fun:

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.