Review: J.P. Chenet So Free Chardonnay

It’s been difficult to find a good non alcoholic white wine, but there is hope. Here is the first of several reviews of new non alcoholic white wines available in Canada. 

Many of you will be familiar with J.P. Chenet as its iconic curved-neck bottle has been a staple in the French wine section for many years. The brand itself was created in France in 1984 and has been popular around the world since then. I drank their Cab Merlot frequently while I was on maternity leave in 2008 and 2009 and felt like it was a hidden gem in the wine section. Now, I do believe their line of So Free non alcoholic wines are also hidden gems waiting to be discovered. 

I didn’t have faith that a big brand like this could make a good non alcoholic white wine, but they surprised me.  

The nose has some very light grape notes, and is not overpowering in any sense. It’s appealing and does not have the chemical smell that cheap, non alcoholic wine always has. 

This wine has a medium body, which is nice for a non alcoholic wine, but only a slight amount of viscosity. 

The palette is such a surprise. There are notes of green apple and pear, but balanced really nicely with some buttery notes typical of a Chardonnay. It tastes fresh and lingers on the palate like a wine should. There is some tartness and acidity, but that does not detract from the experience and adds to the fresh factor. A beautiful balance!

The residual sugar is 5.0g/100ml which is fairly standard for non alcoholic wine. It does not taste overly sweet, and the sugar factor is mitigated by how enjoyable this wine is to drink.