Description
Friedrich Becker, “Schweigen” Pinot Noir
It’s broken record time: You’ve heard us wax rhapsodic about German Pinot Noir many times before, but what can I say, the hits keep coming! In the Becker family’s case, it’s the “Pinot” family of grapes—Noir, Gris, and Blanc—that represent some 60% of their vineyard holdings, so this triumphant 2018 isn’t some supporting-cast surprise amidst a raft of Rieslings. No, this is a Pinot Noir of serious intention and deep history, from a terroir right on the French-German border that was once farmed by the same Cistercian monks who colonized and codified Burgundy. Marl/limestone soils and a reverence for tradition guide the two Friedrich Beckers—Junior and Senior—in their quest to craft Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays (close reader will recall we’ve offered that, too) that cede nothing to the greats of France. We’ve marveled at the deliciousness and ever-improving quality of German Pinot Noir, but this one really ups the ante in every way. It is a game-changer. You must not miss it!
Whether it’s climate change pushing prime winemaking latitudes ever northward, or whether places like Germany’s Pfalz have always produced great wines like this (I’m going with that)—Burgundy is not the only game in town anymore. Lately we’ve been singing the praises of German regions like the Pfalz, Rheingau, and especially Baden for their Pinot Noir prowess, and for the incredible value-for-dollar those Pinot Noirs offer. Riesling may be Germany’s calling card, but Germany is also the world’s third-largest Pinot Noir producer. This is not some “new” situation, however new it may be to many of us.
The Pfalz region is named for a tributary of the Rhine and runs all the way to Germany’s border with Alsace. The Vosges mountain range, which shelters Alsace from storms from the west, becomes the Haardt range across the border in the Pfalz, so, like Alsace, the Pfalz is a drier, warmer region than some of the other classic regions along the Rhine. The Pfalz’s soils, too, are more varied than most of the other key German wine zones, with many pockets of clay/limestone marl reminiscent of that found in Burgundy. Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay are found elsewhere in Germany, but in the Pfalz, they’re not merely supporting players—they’re limelight-sharing costars. The subsoils in Schweigen are rich in “shell limestone,” as in Burgundy, and the Pinots from Becker have a level of nerve and “cut” that is sometimes absent in German Pinot Noirs.
The Beckers are members of Germany’s exclusive VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter), an invitation-only association of 200+ producers which sets quality standards for its members (identified by the eagle trademark on the capsule). VDP designations for wines closely resemble those used in Burgundy: there’s Gutswein (a regional wine from multiple vineyards); Ortswein (village wine); Erste Lage (“Premier Cru”); and Grosse Lage (“Grand Cru”). Today’s wine, an Ortswein, is named for the Beckers’ home village of Schweigen, which sits right on the German/French border. It’s a structured style, aged a whopping 36 months in French oak barriques before bottling.
What we’ve been loving most about German Pinots is the combination of smokiness and silkiness: there’s a very woodsy, savory quality to these wines, along with very plush textures, modest alcohol, and refreshing—not sharp—acidity. This ’18, now showing a well-integrated mix of loamy earth/forest floor notes and saturated black cherry fruit, still has some positive evolution ahead of it but is drinking beautifully now. Decant it 30 minutes before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems and prepare for a sweet-savory serenade of red and black cherry, wild strawberry, rhubarb, rose petals, and lots of underbrush, smoke, leather, and herbs. It is medium-plus in body, with exceptionally refined tannins, and a great example of how important balance is to a wine’s longevity. Bottom line? You are going to be impressed—and very disappointed if you only have one bottle. Enjoy!
