Review: Society De La Rassi Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Wine

Is this $60 bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly worth the investment?

I absolutely hate that I’m reviewing yet another non-alcoholic wine priced above $50, but this bottle was on my radar for awhile because of the praise from Dry Atlas. Personally, as mentioned in my last article, I believe there is now a true château tier in the non-alcoholic wine category. My definition of this loosely means a) no juices, additives or preservatives have been added after dealcoholization b) the wine is made from a pre-existing vintage c) optionally has been lying down for some time before being dealcoholized.

Today’s review is a bottle that has great marketing and branding to fit into this tier, and the founder has even eluded to the great centuries old Champagne houses as an inspiration.

That’s where the similarity might have ended, as this $65USD bottle has charm and elegance aplenty but I was sceptical given the track record of that other more mass market ‘luxury’ wine (that doesn’t actually taste like luxury).

So, I was happily, and truly shocked at the elegance of today’s pick: the 2023 Society De La Rassi Neue Brut Dealcoholized Sparkling Chardonnay.

To level set expectations, if you’ve had the Zeronimo Sparkling Select which is top in the category, this one didn’t have as much finesse and complexity but it had it’s own very unique characteristics that stood out for me. It’s heads above lots of the other basic dealcoholized sparkling wines.

Society De La Rassi is based out of California, co-founded by CEO Steve Jackson and Marketing Director Wesley Davis in 2023. The Neue Brut is their first product, produced from 100% chardonnay grapes grown in La Mancha, Spain on a fifth generation finca and then gently dealcoholized using state-of-the-art vacuum distillation.

In an email, Davis shared some of the ethos behind the brand.

“It's all about investing in amazing and unique grapes, people and processes to create each vintage,” he explained, and shared they have a new rosé wine currently in production in Cotes du Provence, France.

The bigger news for pop culture fans is that even Doechii and the Met Gala adore this non-alcoholic wine, as it was recently served up at the singers iconic after-party because Doechii doesn’t drink (another successful icon who is alcohol-free…I’m seeing a trend!).

So what does the Neue Brut taste like? Let’s get down to business.

Aroma

The best thing about any non-alcoholic bubbly is when I pop the cork and there isn’t really an aroma. I know that sounds strange, but the best non-alcoholic bubblies I’ve tried have only the lightest aroma and sometimes none at all. This one has a tiny hint of floral aromatics and a teeny wisp of lemon, if I had to place the smell. Just gorgeous!

Taste

Crisp and truly bone-dry, with a nice bright acid backbone and very delicate grape must notes that really mimic the old world feel of a brut made in Champagne. A little bit of salinity that is just a hint of terroir. There is a noticable absence of the usual ‘green apple and citrus’ notes that more basic non-alcoholic bubblies usually have. There’s no sweetness at all and this is what makes this stand out for me.

There isn’t a massive complexity to the liquid, and is slightly ‘one note’ which is partially because it’s only one varietal. Where Zeronimo Sparkling Select always wins for me is because it’s a blend of varietals the winemaker has extracted the best characteristics from. It’s definitely been touched more by the winemaker and the Neue Brut comes close to reflecting that style of hands-on winemaking but I wanted more to be extracted from the grape.

However, it’s still a gorgeous and very sophisticated wine as is and would definitely stand out in a blind tasting.

Mouthfeel & Experience

The bubbles are absolutely delicious in this non-alcoholic sparkler, with a really clean, refreshing texture that drinks like a premium Champagne.

What to pair with Society De La Rassi

This is definitely versatile enough to be opened at any occasion - whether that’s just for a toast or whether it’s over a full-course meal. The tight structure and lack of ‘juiciness’ means it will stand up to most of what’s on the menu with the exception of red meats.

Overall

I think this is one of the closest non-alcoholic bubblies to a real Champagne brut because of it’s dryness that extends all the way through the wine, and even though there is grape must added back in after dealcoholization, it does add to the experience and flavour of the wine rather than detract from the original character. It essentially creates the Chateau feel I love! I think this belongs in the right class of wines with a higher price tag and is worth pouring for special occasion or just a vibey brunch, despite the eye-watering price tag.

Overall score: 96 points

Available for both U.S. and Canada via The Zero Proof. (15% off your whole cart with this link - no promo code, discount applied at checkout)

How I rank 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.