There are simply no Rieslings in Germany like those of J.B. Becker.
Hans-Josef Becker stands alone, literally and figuratively.
Today, we're offering Becker's 2023 Spätlese Trocken and Spätlese Trocken "Alte Reben" at special prearrival pricing.Â
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For over fifty years, Becker has produced some of the most heartfelt and mysterious dry Rieslings made in Germany. He is not only a dry Riesling specialist - he is a dry Riesling pioneer.
Beginning in 1971, Becker made the decision to focus on dry Rieslings, decades before the "GG" movement gained momentum in Germany.
More than that, he decided to make dry Rieslings with rigorous structures, wines that demand proper aging or a serious decant. This is the Rheingau, today a warm region with many wines of decadent fruit and weight - yet Becker's dry Rieslings are tensile, nervy, structured.
Tasted blind, the soil notes are different, yet one thinks of the Mosel, or the Saar, or perhaps of the cooler corners of the Nahe.
For us, the heart and soul of Becker's collection is always the two dry Spätlese bottlings - the "normal" and the "old-vine" bottling. These offer incredible depth and presence, and yet they are also energetic (Full notes below.)
With the 2023 vintage, only now being released by Becker, we have a simply profound pair of dry Spätlesen. The normal bottling is more expressive, more floral and airy; the old-vine bottling is dense and concentrated, a monument of mineral and acidity.Â
Hans-Becker has brought in more than fifty vintages, and at this point, his touch is so natural and easy that there is an uncommon stylistic continuity among the vintages.
Yes, these are deeper and more powerful than the 2022ers - the vintage speaks here - yet the sense of clarity, mystery, and structure is classic Becker.
If you have never had the opportunity to taste these wines, today we offer a chance to secure the newest releases at a special, discounted pre-arrival price - the wines should arrive in October.
Quantities are limited and in 2024, Becker produced almost no wine because of hail and frosts - now is the time to stock the cellar.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2023 Spätlese Trocken
The Walkenberg is Becker's main site with his oldest vines. As he farms nearly five hectares of the Walkenberg, Becker can be very specific and sort out only the top grapes for certain bottles - he has a lot of material he can edit out. The younger-vine bottling comes from vines 40 years old or younger. It is more expressive in youth, almost explosively floral, fruity, airy, aromatic, all-encompassing - yet as with all Becker wines it is the structure, the mineral and smoke, the herbal quality that sets these wines apart.
2023 Spätlese Trocken "Alte Reben"
The Walkenberg is Becker's main site with his oldest vines. As he farms nearly five hectares of the Walkenberg, Becker can be very specific and sort out only the top grapes for certain bottles - he has a lot of material he can edit out. Becker's "alte Reben" or "old vine" bottling comes from vines over 40 years of age - the oldest are around 70 years old. This wine is profoundly concentrated - almost chewy on the palate - with a coiled up tension, citrus and stone fruit. This has everything to age gracefully over the next two decades. If you drink younger, give the wine a good decant and/or drink over a week or longer.