Edition Lamothe

Château Lamothe is a Bordeaux estate whose wines Manufaktur Jörg Geiger also sells with the alcohol still in them, which makes this bottle a useful direct comparison. The base is French and Merlot-led, dealcoholized by vacuum distillation and then blended with perry pear from the Swabian orchards. The wine's own numbers survive in a way that shows. Acidity sits at 5.7 grams per litre and residual alcohol lands around 0.4 percent. Sugar is under a gram per 100ml, which is why it reads full-bodied and dry rather than sweet, with smoky black cherry, plum and blackberry on the nose and soft tannins behind. Use a Burgundy glass and serve at 14 to 16°C. This is the one to open next to grilled lamb, a hearty roast, aged hard cheese, or mushrooms. 21 calories per 100ml, under 0.5% alcohol.