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Château Bonnet, Oh Oui!, 2025
Produced under the direction of Jacques Lurton of Famille André Lurton in Bordeaux, Oh Oui! is an innovative new label for a pair of zero-alcohol grape-based drinks produced using Sauvignon Blanc from the vineyards of Château Bonnet.
One of the best-known of all the André Lurton properties, Château Bonnet is situated in the Entre-Deux-Mers region just a few kilometres from the banks of the Dordogne. It is rightly regarded as the cradle of the Famille André Lurton empire and it has been the family’s home for more than 125 years, ever since its acquisition by great-grandfather Léonce Récapet in 1897. The vineyard is extensive, with 118 hectares of white varieties planted (alongside 84 hectares of red), of which 63% is Sauvignon Blanc.
So the Lurtons have plenty of raw material to experiment with. And this has led to the development of Oh Oui! Unlike many zero-alcohol options, however, the Oh Oui! drinks are not produced using de-alcoholisation, which necessitates expensive and energy-hungry processes such as vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis.
Rather than go down this road the team at Famille André Lurton took a novel approach, one intended to circumvent these energy requirements. Rather than adhering to the processes outlined above, the fruit for Oh Oui! was harvested several weeks earlier than usual, at a time when the Sauvignon aromatics had developed, but the sugar concentration was low. Then all that was required was a little pressing, stabilisation and (for one of the wines) a touch of carbonation.
And the result? Two grape-based, zero-alcohol drinks. More grape juice than wine, but without the rich sweetness grape juice usually possesses.
With still and sparkling versions available, the Oh Oui! range clearly mimics wine in its presentation. The two drinks are sold in 75 cl bottles, sealed with screwcap (for the still version) or agglomerate cork (for the sparkling version) and the name of Château Bonnet is fairly prominent on the label. It seems logical to conclude that these drinks are targetted at those looking for a zero-alcohol alternative to wine, which I guess is how these drinks should be judged.
Where these drinks performed well is in terms of aromatics, which are fresh and dominated by pure fruit aromas along the lines of melon and apple. This is not the explosive and complex array of aromas you find with fermented Sauvignon Blanc, rather more simple and quietly expressed fruit notes, but they have appeal. Where these drinks differ most markedly from wine, however, is in the midpalate; without any alcohol or much sugar to fill out the middle these drinks feel very light at this point, although the pétillant version does better in this regard.
I am not the target market for these wines; I won’t be participating in dry January, and when I need to avoid the combination of drinking and driving I tend to look for alternative travel options before looking for alternative drinks options. Nevertheless, the alcohol-free drinks market is booming, especially in younger age groups (I am told), and correspondingly its image is changing, as seen with the recent release of the highly priced alcohol-free sparkling ‘wine’ French Bloom by LVMH, a name more readily associated with high-flying Bordeaux and big-name Champagne brands. There will clearly be increased demand for products such as these during 2025 and beyond, so I expect there to be a lot of interest in the innovative Oh Oui! drinks. (9/1/25)
Tasting Notes
The following drinks were tasted in January 2025. As these are not wines I have not added any score to my tasting notes. Click to locate stockists.
Oh Oui!
Château Bonnet Oh Oui! 0% Alcohol NV: This is unfermented grape juice produced from early-picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes at Château Bonnet. Sealed with screwcap. Aromatically this has a lot going for it, with fresh and delicate white fruit on the nose, predominantly Galia melon and green apple. The palate feels nicely textured at the start, although this falls away in the middle. While the flavours have charm, it is rather light in terms of texture and frame here; given the early harvest I was a little surprised at the modest presence of acidity through the middle, but was more struck by the light midpalate which fades into the finish. I wonder if tasted against other zero-alcohol drinks this might fare better, but viewed as a wine alternative it misses the texture that would usually be provided by alcohol or sugar (or both). This concentration of sugar is 5.5 g/l, and the alcohol, as declared on the label, is 0%. Not scored.
Château Bonnet Oh Oui 0% Alcohol Pétillant NV: This is unfermented grape juice produced from early-picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes at Château Bonnet, essentially the same as the still Oh Oui! cuvée but here with a sensitive pétillance, presumably achieved through simple carbonation, as the sugar and alcohol concentrations match exactly those for the still version. Aromatically this mirrors the above, with apple, melon and citrus notes, while the
palate follows suit. What feels different here is the increased sense of frame provided by the pétillance, which papers over the lean midpalate which results from the low-sugar and zero-alcohol build. I have to say, while it also finishes short, it hangs together slightly better than the still version. This concentration of sugar is 5.5 g/l, and the alcohol, as declared on the label, is 0%. Not scored
