Friedrich Becker Winery: Germany’s Pinot Noir pioneer

TEXT: KATE JONES, THE WINEBARN

For seven generations, the Becker family has cultivated vineyards in the southern Pfalz, on the border with Alsace, where limestone-rich soils provide the perfect conditions for producing exceptional Spätburgunder – Germany’s answer to Pinot Noir.

It was Friedrich Becker Senior who transformed the family business by bottling their own wines instead of selling grapes to the local co-operative. Since taking over in 2005, Friedrich Becker Junior has established the estate as one of Germany’s finest Pinot Noir producers, winning the Gault & Millau German Wine Guide’s Best German Pinot Noir award almost every year.

Today, the family farms around 30 hectares of vineyards with a philosophy centred on minimal intervention in both the vineyard and cellar, allowing each wine to express its unique terroir. Patience is equally important, with the estate’s top red wines released only four years after harvest to ensure optimum balance, complexity and ageing potential.

Like many winegrowers, the Becker family must also contend with the unpredictability of nature. This summer, a severe hailstorm caused significant damage to parts of the estate, devastating vineyards in more exposed sites such as Kammerberg and Wormberg. This caused a loss of 70 per cent of this year’s grape harvest. Fortunately, some of Becker’s most renowned vineyards, including St. Paul, Heydenreich and Sonnenberg, escaped with only partial damage. While the coming vintage has been affected, the family views such events as an inevitable part of winemaking, remaining focused on producing wines that reflect both the challenges and character of each growing season.

Left: Becker 2021 Becker Family Spätburgunder QbA dry red wine. Middle: Becker 2019 Schweigen Spätburgunder QbA dry red wine. Right: Becker 2018 St. Paul Spätburgunder Grand Cru dry red wine

WINES TO DISCOVER

The WineBarn – an exclusively German wine merchant, was the first to introduce the UK to Spätburgunder, and as such, can recommend three of Becker’s finest Pinot Noirs:

2021 Becker Family Spätburgunder QbA Dry
£19.65 per bottle

A vibrant ruby red with aromas of wild berries, tobacco, spice and forest floor. Juicy, elegant and wonderfully drinkable. Wine writer Tamlyn Currin described it as “juicy and with plenty of gumption. Slim tannins, expressive fruit, black-pepper finish. The kind of wine I could happily drink every day without tiring of it.”

2019 Schweigener Spätburgunder QbA Dry
£34.00 per bottle

Produced from 30 to 55-year-old vines growing in limestone soils on the German-French border, this elegant wine offers aromas of blackberries, tobacco, spice and vanilla, alongside a dense palate with impressive structure and length.

2018 St. Paul Spätburgunder Grand Cru Dry
£106.45 per bottle

Awarded 91 points by Decanter, this flagship wine comes from a south-facing limestone vineyard in Wissembourg. Aromas of juniper, wild berries, tobacco and pepper lead to a concentrated, beautifully structured palate with youthful tannins, remarkable length and excellent ageing potential.

Friedrich Wilhelm Becker.

The WineBarn - Bio

The WineBarn is a a multi-award-winning wine merchant that specialises in exclusively German wine and have been bringing pure drinking pleasure to the UK for over 26 years. Their elegant wines have been selected to cover a range of styles - from the affordable to the luxury, from dry to sweet and from fresh to full-bodied, ensuring there’s something to suit all tastes and pair with any cuisine.

To find your new favourite German wine, you can contact the award-winning merchant The WineBarn now.

Visit: www.thewinebarn.co.uk
Call: 0044 (0)1962 761 215
Email: wine@thewinebarn.co.uk

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