Variety: Riesling
In the Rheingau area, Jean Baptiste Becker founded “J.B. Becker” in 1893. The second generation, led by Hans-Joseph Becker, was far ahead of his time, preemptively foreseeing the dry wine movement in the Rheingau area long before anyone else was doing it. Now onto the third generation, Hajo Becker is now owner and winemaker, continuing his father and grandfather’s legacy. After tasting with cellar master Hermann Neuser’s dry wines back in the 1970s, Hajo became instantly enamored with them. This was during a time when Germany was still known internationally for its Liebfraumilch, and other sweet swill. With his first vintage in 1971, he began focusing on dry Rieslings, which lost him many of his customers. All levels of vineyard care are at the forefront of importance to Becker, but he won’t talk about it; he thinks and he works.
This Riesling hails from Walluf, a small town in Rheingau. It’s worth mentioning that 2015 was not only an impeccable vintage across Germany, it was likely Becker’s second best vintage, since… 1971. This bottle also aged for six years before release, and the wine still has so much aging potential! This Riesling is dry and snappy, and will cause you to rethink what you know to be Riesling.
