The production method is genuinely different from most alcohol-free sparkling wines. Instead of removing alcohol after fermentation, Elton John Zero uses selected bacteria to process the Chardonnay grapes from the start. No alcohol is generated in the first place. The base is 100% Chardonnay from cooler northern regions of Italy, and green tea extract is added to introduce tannin structure before the wine is carbonated with CO2. It pours pale golden with a fine, persistent bead. The nose leans towards stone fruit and orchard fruit, with elderflower and orange blossom lifting it. On the palate things stay crisp rather than sweet, and the green tea tannins give the mouthfeel a bit more roundness than you'd normally expect from a zero-alcohol sparkling. The finish is dry, with a brisk lime note carrying it through. At 0% it sits alongside rather than beneath what it's imitating. The bacterial fermentation approach is worth knowing about if you're interested in how these wines are made, though it's unlikely to taste significantly different to a non-drinker picking it up cold.