Noughty’s Monté is 100% dry-farmed Syrah from select coastal vineyard sites in South Africa.

‘Monté’ means ‘to climb’, to gain elevation, to go higher. Metaphorically, Noughty are trying to offer a more elevated de-alcoholised red wine.

Like their celebrated flagship ‘rouge', Monte is 100% syrah from South Africa, so how do these compare?

Monté simply offers more nuance, more depth, more aroma, more tannic texture on the finish, and a surprising freshness to the fruit notes demonstrating care in the vineyard. We get blackberry, plum, and cherry, with a hint of black pepper and bay leaf on the gently tannic finish.

The wine was conventionally fermented, partially in French oak, before de-alcoholisation using spinning cone technology, which is a novel and costly method that some say preserves more aroma than other de-alcoholisation techniques.

More about how it’s made

Dry farming means no irrigation, which forces the roots of the vines deep into the soil to seek moisture, and tends to create wines of greater depth and intensity. A portion of french oak during fermentation adds some texture and body.

Coastal vineyards mean hot days but cool nights, which allows the grape to ripen gradually, in an ideal situation making a wine with good intensity and depth. Compared to the ‘rouge’, Monté offers a touch more body, and perhaps slightly more texture from tannins on the finish. More distinct and layered fruit notes.

Noughty founder Amanda Thomson says, “Consumers told us they wanted a red wine that truly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with traditional fine wines — rich, structured, elegant and deeply satisfying. Monté is that wine.”

More about the brand

Noughty by Thomson & Scott has been a leader in the de-alcoholised wine category since their launch in 2019.

Although we tend to stay clear of big brands with minimal info about sourcing, we’ve stuck with Noughty because their wines consistently exceed expectations in the non-alc category, and their charismatic founder is sincerely committed to creating non-alcoholic wines that wine drinkers can enjoy.

They’re also a certified B Corp, and their products are organic, vegan, and kosher. Amanda Thomson was recently given the Drinks Businesses 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year award, recognizing her work in this field.

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