Edenvale Premium GSM red blend review: If this non-alcoholic wine was a vibe, it would be quiet luxury
/Edenvale Premium Reserve Selection Grenache Shiraz Mataro ($35), 92 points
I’ve covered Edenvale wines here extensively, so by now you might be familiar with their origin story. They’re a non-alcoholic brand from Australia, launched in the mid-00s to make non-alcoholic wines for grocery store chains. As a leader in the space, they’ve recently pushed the boundaries of innovation and created global award-winning blends.
The Edenvale Premium Reserve Selection GSM is probably the pinnacle of all the Edenvale wines I’ve reviewed, as it’s one of the best crafted products to be developed under winemaker Michael Bright.
This non-alcoholic red blend is part of their premium line called Premium Reserve Selection. Bright says they’re “lovingly crafted from the best parcels of fruit South Australia has to offer”, and it definitely shows. This one specifically is produced in Fleurieu and Barossa wine regions in South Australia.
GSM wines are usually a mix of grenache, syrah and mouvedre varietals. Mouvedre is also called mataro which is how Edenvale has labelled this blend. Mataro is a meaty and full-bodied red grape that used to be used to make ‘jug wines’ or table wines. It wasn’t singled out as a premium variety until the 1990s in California wines. Grenache and syrah, on the other hand, are two of the most widely planted wine grape varieties in the world. Together this threesome makes a delicious combination that is loved around the world.
Aroma
On the nose, the Edenvale GSM has a pleasant black cherry and plum aroma. As I was thinking about this olfactory experience, I was reminded about just how far we’ve come in the area of non-alcoholic red wine. Only a few years ago, the aroma of dealcoholized wine was often laced with an unpleasant chemical plastic smell. There was no point back then in trying to assess a good or bad nose on a cheap bottle of non-alcoholic wine. It’s always a pleasant surprise to pour a non-alcoholic red wine that smells like red wine should.
Taste & Mouthfeel
On the palette, this GSM is soft and juicy with a very very light hint of dusty leather tannins. There isn’t a lot of complexity to the wine, but it’s so soft and ripe with a velvety smooth texture. With each glass of this wine, it just gets better and better. The grenache lends jammy cherry berry notes, combined with a little bit of chocolate from the syrah and a faint hint of blueberry at the finish.
Low-sugar
This red wine is quite low in sugar, which makes this even more enjoyable to indulge in. By the glass, it has 2.7g of sugar. It’s quite fabulous that the wine retains such a lovely taste, without having too much sugar.
Why I Like It
This non-alcoholic red is very enjoyable to drink, and has an elegance that doesn’t hit you over the head. If this wine was a vibe, it would be quiet luxury. It was obviously crafted by someone with a loving hand, who cares about the quality of the experience for anyone adventurous enough to try it. It’s not a mind-blowing wine and definitely lacking some complexity and tannins, but overall, I keep going back to it again and again and each time I decide I really like it. It’s much better than the Oddbird GSM which I reviewed a few months ago.
What Food to Pair It With
As with most GSMs, the juicy nature of this wine makes it ideal for pasta with red sauce, pizza or anything with soft mild cheeses. It would even be a great option for juicy prime beef burgers.
Where To Buy This Wine
You can currently find the Edenvale GSM through Sansorium for $36.50.
How we score wines at Some Good Clean Fun:
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.
