Brand

Lautus

Four South African wines, dealcoholized by spinning cone and all tasted: how the Chardonnay, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Savvy Red differ, and which to open.

Tasted
4 of 4
Scores
82–86/100
Production
Dealcoholized
Origin
South Africa

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Our take on Lautus

Lautus is a South African range from Reg Holder’s Holder Vineyards & Wines. The wines are made in the Western Cape and dealcoholized by spinning cone under vacuum, with the aromatics captured first and returned once the alcohol is out. All four still wines in the range have been tasted here, so this page can do what a list of scores cannot: explain how they differ and which one to open.

The four wines side by side

Wine Score What it tastes like Structure
Chardonnay 86 Peach, orange and pear, vanilla and soft creamy weight, a nutty bittersweet close Off-dry, moderate acidity, medium body
Rosé 85 Strawberry, white flowers and citrus, red berries and a clean mineral line Off-dry, bright acidity, light and crisp
Sauvignon Blanc 84 Gooseberry and lime with a tropical lift, a clean lingering lime finish Dry-leaning, bright acidity, light body
Savvy Red 82 Blackberry and plum, fine tannin and light oak, a medium-short finish Dry-leaning, fine tannin, light body

Scores are tasted. How we score.

Which one to open

For weight, the Chardonnay. It is the most complete wine in the range and the broadest through the middle, with soft creamy texture and a nutty, lightly bittersweet finish. Oak frames the fruit rather than burying it. Choose it when you miss the body of a conventional white.

For freshness, the Sauvignon Blanc. Acidity carries it: gooseberry and lime, a lean mid-palate and a clean lime finish that lasts. It is the driest-tasting wine of the four and the best choice for anyone wary of sweet nonalcoholic whites.

For balance, the Rosé. It has a little sweetness you can notice, but bright acidity meets it so closely that the wine still finishes slightly dry. Light, crisp and delicate, it is the easiest of the four to keep drinking.

For a red, the Savvy Red, with expectations set. It avoids the jammy trap that catches many nonalcoholic reds, and the fine tannin gives it real shape. The middle is thin and the finish fades early, so it suits a casual glass better than a meal that needs a substantial red.

Sweetness: what the numbers say and what the glass says

All four carry real residual sugar by the producer’s own figures: about 21 g/L in the Sauvignon Blanc, 24 g/L in the Savvy Red, and 32 g/L in both the Chardonnay and the Rosé. On paper they are all off-dry or sweeter. In the glass, acidity changes the picture. The Sauvignon Blanc, with the least sugar and the most acidity, tastes the driest. The Rosé has as much sugar as the Chardonnay but reads as slightly dry because its acidity is brighter. The Chardonnay uses its sugar differently, as part of a rounder, softer texture.

That gap between the analysis and the taste is why tasted structure matters more than a residual-sugar figure alone. It is also a pattern across nonalcoholic wine, explained in Why non-alcoholic wine tastes sweet.

What is documented

  • Method: Spinning cone under vacuum. The producer describes removing the aromatics first, then the alcohol, then returning the aromatics. The Rosé technical sheet adds that part of the alcohol-water mixture is put through again so the water can be recovered and added back. See Spinning cone.
  • Alcohol: Less than 0.5% on the producer’s sheets and labels.
  • Origin: Western Cape fruit. The Rosé is Pinotage from Voor-Paardeberg near Paarl, the Sauvignon Blanc cites Stellenbosch, and the Savvy Red cites the Olifants River Valley.
  • Classification: Dealcoholized, documented by the producer for every wine in the range.

Each review carries its own sources and any disagreements between them.

How to use this page

All Lautus bottles in the cellar are listed above. Shopping by style: Best non-alcoholic Chardonnay, How to buy non-alcoholic white wine, How to buy non-alcoholic red wine and Best dealcoholized rosé.