J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Sptburgunder Ros Sptlese trocken 2021

The winery is currently managed by third generation grower/winemaker, Hans-Joseph Becker. Hajo is a traditionalist versus many colleagues in the Rheingau region, and has no successor at the moment

His vineyard area totals 13 hectares, all in the Walkenberg area. (Walkenberg is a classified VDP.GROSSE LAGE site) 75% is planted with Riesling and 25% Pinot Noir and is gradually increasing year on year.

Sticking to his guns methodologically and stylistically kept Hans-Josef Becker radical, even after the Rheingau eventually converted en masse to Rieslingtrocken. Becker persisted in the traditional practice of only bottling his young Rieslings immediately ahead of the next harvest, and in many instances he gave them even longer in cask. Fermentations here take place largely in pressure tanks, after which the young wines are racked into traditional RheingauStckfsser, where they remain on their fine lees until bottling. Viticulturally, too, Becker resisted both the trends that prevailed in his youth and subsequent fashions. That meant preserving old vines and, when replanting was unavoidable, spurning clones in deference to massal selections. It meant farming organically, though he never advertised it, at a time when the practice was almost unheard of among German winegrowers

In this way they achieve a fascinating harmony and even after decades they still look fresh and convincingly mature with great fruit.They remain highly sought after by world renown sommeliers and wine critics throughout the world. Beckers wine is unlike any other producers in Rheingau. Annual bottle production of 45,000.

Taste Profile: You undoubtedly feel like you’re in Provence when you sit in Hajo Becker’s Rhine Garden. Most of the time the sun shines and the view of the glittering Rhine is unique, the water is not even a stone’s throw from your feet. But he had never made a ros – until the bad weather of 2021 came around the corner and, although there were brilliant Rieslings in the Rheingau, Becker in Walluf did not allow any Pinot Noir production that would have met Hajo’s standards.

The selection of the few well-ripe and clean Pinot Noir berries resulted in this pink Rheingauer. You just shouldn’t expect a swimming pool ros, you get a Becker in your glass – and they always have something special.

The color itself is extraordinary, a delicate onion skin pink with very light copper reflections, as slim as it looks, it also smells. Tart wild strawberry, red lemon, salty, wild raspberry, none of it really sweet, but rather herbal and cool. Currant and raspberry bush, a bit of orange zest, also some iodine. The mouth runs salty-berry, racy-dry with a lot of speed over the tongue. A fine tannin structure carries the ros, slim, spicy, with a trace of salt and acidity that is reminiscent of Riesling, but clearly points to Hajo’s prime location, the Walkenberg.