Review: Varnum 2023 Non-alcoholic Pinot Noir
/
Varnum Vintners is a really special winery based in the Central Willamette valley in Oregon and run by husband and wife team Cyler and Taralyn Varnum. I was really lucky to have accidentally discovered their wines through another wine writer, and had the good fortune to also be able to interview Taralyn Varnum about their non-alcoholic wine journey. You can read all the details of that interview here!
The Varnum Non-Alcoholic Pinot Noir was harvested in 2023 and barrel aged for 18 months before bottling. It’s dealcoholized using spinning cone with aroma recovery which makes a massive impact on the quality of the finished wine in this case. I’ve sampled wines that use spinning cone and sampled wines using the new Solos aroma recovery and a lot of the time, spinning cone is good but does lack some finesse in comparison to the Solos wines.
In this case, Varnum has really made an exceptional dealcoholized product using spinning cone. The difference comes down to the quality of wine they started with. One of my basic principles of a good non-alcoholic wine is the grapes and the parent wine must be high quality, in order to produce a high quality finished alcohol-removed wine. This is a very good demonstration of this principle. The wines Varnum uses in their process are Oregon-grown and small batch from both their own vineyards and neighbouring wineries.
When I first tried the Varnum n/a pinot, I was overwhelmed and completely blown-away by the taste and structure.
*Note: chilled 10 minutes in ice bucket; aerated with screw cap off for 5 minutes
Appearance
I usually don’t comment on appearance, as it’s not that important with n/a wines yet, but I thought it was a real highlight with this bottle. Other non-alcoholic pinot noirs are usually too dark and that’s always a sign it’s not going to taste like a pinot noir (Leitz Zero Point Five, I’m talking to you!). Varnum Pinot Noir is the proper color of pinot noir - transparent garnet just like a jewel!
Aroma
I’m obsessed with how this non-alcoholic red smells. There’s the heady scent of malolactic fermentation, rare in a non-alcoholic wine. Maybe a little bit of funk. Light notes of dark cherry, tar, leather and cacao powder. A very complex nose!
Taste
This is an absolutely incredible dealcoholized red. I don’t even know where to start. First of all, it’s dry - very dry, but not astringent. And there are tannins aplenty.
There are very light notes of dark cherry and oak, maybe a hint of leather. Nicely balanced between fruit and acid. What I love is that this is NOT fruity - in the sense that the “notes of dark cherry” don’t hit me over the head. It’s a dry and structured red wine, exactly like a pinot should be.
There’s also a peppy almost peppery finish that has a medium length.
Mouthfeel & Experience
Absolute perfection. Drinks like a wine and it’s miles better than so many n/a reds when it comes to texture and weight. It’s light without being thin, and has the right depth for a pinot noir.
Pairings
I would be obsessed with pairing this with mushroom dishes, to be honest. Let’s say the T word…Truffle and tarts. Yes. This will be an absolute delight with a black truffle & parmesan pasta or some mushroom tarts.
Note: after my initial tasting, I finished the bottle with dinner. It did NOT pair well with a salad full of green veggies and kale/lettuce, but was chef’s kiss with my seared and roasted pork tenderloin au jus.
Overall
I can’t get enough of this non-alcoholic red. I don’t think it could get any better - a brilliant wine made by brilliant winemakers. This actually tastes like a proper wine (not just a dealcoholized dupe) and is as far from grape juice as the Oceano Zero Pinot Noir or Zeronimo Leonis Blend. I find it to be beautifully casual in a west coast sort of way. An easy-going pinot noir with some complexity and secondary flavours that would be a perfect fit on any dinner table. Obsessed!
Score: 97 points
Find it at: Varnum Vintners, $30
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.
