Domaine EdeM ‘Brunette’ NV

Domaine EdeM ‘Brunette’ NV
Chardonnay verjus + botanicals • Mendoza, Argentina • non-alcoholic

Amber and bittersweet, with caramelized notes and wild herbs, a little sweet up front and a grown-up bitter snap at the finish, like an amaro spritz minus the proof. Domaine EdeM comes from the Catena family, the name behind Argentina’s most famous Malbecs, and it’s named for Elena Maza, the family matriarch. When wine started hitting Elena harder as she got older, she began cutting it with soda, hated it, and asked her daughters for something better. Dr. Laura Catena handed the project to the Catena Institute of Wine, and the team built it from scratch on verjus (tart juice pressed from early-harvest mountain Chardonnay) and Chardonnay must, then infused it with clove, chamomile, thyme, artemisia, and other native Argentine herbs. Grandma got exactly what she asked for.
Pair it with: a big ice cube, an orange wheel, a plate of salty Manchego.