Friedrich Becker was a visionary. Hailing from a mixed-agriculture family in Germany’s Pfalz, in 1973, he shifted the farm’s focus solely to grapes. And while focusing on Riesling would’ve been the safe bet, Friedrich made a daring decision to dedicate his life to Pinot Noir. He had, after all, just visited the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti so knew what heights properly farmed and made Pinot could achieve.

Pinot Noir has a millennium-long history in Germany, nearly as long as in Burgundy. But in the 1970s, its reputation was for producing underripe, shrill reds. From the get-go, Becker upended that notion.

For almost a half-century now, the Becker family has been perhaps the most important red wine producer in southern Germany. Their holdings focus on the border between Pfalz and Alsace, and they actually farm a significant portion of vineyards on the Alsatian side. Their 2021 Pinot is yet another feather in their viticultural cap.

Why You’ll Love It

• Though it’s their entry-level bottling, Becker’s Pinot comes from younger vines across the estate, including their Grosses Gewäches (Grand Cru) vineyards. The vineyards are on both the Pfalz (German) and Alsatian (French) sides of the border.

• It’s hand-harvested, fully destemmed, gently macerated, and aged in a mix of large and small French oak barrels, with a tiny proportion of new barrels. Every step of the winemaking process produces a seriously sleek and polished Pinot.

• The nose is pure Pinot pleasure – red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, red rose petals, black tea, mushrooms, clove spice, and turned earth. 

• On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, full of succulent red fruit and spice. Tannins are polished and fine-grained, making for serious short-term pleasure, and a good zip of acidity on the finish means it’s fantastically refreshing.

• Did we mention the value? At $24 on 1 bottle, $22 on six, and $20 on twelve, this is a serious contender for the best quality:price ratio in all of Pinot.

How To Enjoy It

• You should use Burgundy bowls here, but you’ll be forgiven if you skip them. Becker’s Pinot has all the aromatic hallmarks of great Pinot, but we can’t blame you if you just reach for the nearest all-purpose glass!

• Serve chilled but not cold, around 60 degrees.

• This is Spätburgunder you can frankly drink on its own, and it’d be equally perfect alongside some simple saucisson or duck confit.