JB Becker – Wines for Eternity 11-11-24

In This Newsletter:
 
J.B. Becker Sale
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Dr. H. Thanisch
 


J.B. Becker Sale
 
Unlock Your Discount Now
 

Once Germany’s finest winemaking region, the Rheingau fell into obscurity in the previous century. Today, interest and investment has brought the region back into the limelight. Quality-focused estates are becoming if not common names among most wine drinkers, better known among insiders. The German wine association, the VDP, has also helped elevate the region and its mostly-dry wines.
 
One such estate benefiting from renewed interest in the region and dry Rieslings is J.B. Becker. Despite crafting ultra-long-aging dry and mostly-dry Rieslings from his family’s estate for over fifty years, wasn’t until recently that the name became known among Riesling fans. Founded in 1893 by the grandfather (Jean Baptiste Becker) of the current owner (Hans-Joseph Becker or HaJo), this small estate is tucked away in the Rheingau.
 
HaJo took over the family estate in 1971, a glorious vintage and a good omen for things to come. He shifted production to mostly bone-dry wines and hasn’t looked back. Though he does produce some not-dry wines, they all (Auslesen included) fall around 20 grams/liter of residual sugar (RS). This number is lower than normal even for modern, sweet Kabinett, which are typically between 30-50 grams/liter. His lower amount of RS is due to fermentation of the sugars, not under-ripeness at harvest.
 
As the descendant of coopers, it’s no surprise that HaJo incorporates extended neutral barrel aging in the crafting of his wines. He’s a passionate advocate for natural yeast fermentation, as well. After a rapid fermentation using only natural yeast, much like at Keller and JJ Prum, the wines are aged for at least two years in traditional Rheingau barrels.
 
The resulting wines are structured and heavily-influenced by their terroir, often resulting in notes of saline and iodine that brings to mind classic Chablis. The longevity of the J.B. Becker wines in the cellar is hard to match; even the Kabinetts reliably cellar for decades.
 
With our three-day sale, it will be easy to fill your cellar for decades of enjoyment.
 

5% off any 3-5 in-stock wines from J.B. Becker
10% off any 6 or more in-stock wines from J.B. Becker
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
 
Sale ends Thursday, November 14th at 9 am Pacific.

 
We offer eleven J.B. Becker options on sale now, including:
 
J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken, Rheingau 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $33.50, that’s $31.83 at 5% off and $30.15 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 points “Very clean and bright for such a warm vintage with delicate floral aromas, this is at once elegant and well structured thanks to the healthy tannins that give this serious presence at the long finish for just 11.5% alcohol. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 
J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Alte Reben Riesling Spatlese Trocken, Rheingau 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $36.50, that’s $34.68 at 5% off and $32.85 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 94 points “This wine combines a floral personality – think orange blossom and roses – with wonderful structure and elegant acidity. So energetic and straight, this is seriously mineral for a vintage that seldom went in that direction, the touch of tannin underlining this beautifully at the long, very straight and harmonious finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

 
J.B. Becker Wallufer Oberberg Riesling Auslese Trocken, Rheingau 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $54.50, that’s $51.78 at 5% off and $49.05 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 96 points “Generous white peach fruit fills out the ample body, but there’s nothing lush or exotic about this very focused wine that has the power to stand in for tannic reds. You only feel the 13.5% alcohol a little bit at the imposing and structured finish. Excellent aging potential. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 
J.B. Becker Wallufer Berg Bildstock Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $33.50, that’s $31.83 at 5% off and $30.15 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 90 points “Only for those seeking bone-dry wines will this seem anything other than dry. Appealing balance of ripeness, discreet tannin and lively acidity on the medium-bodied palate of this well-structured wine. Plenty of dried pear and apple ring character. Firm finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

 
J.B. Becker Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling Kabinett 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $34.50, that’s $32.78 at 5% off and $31.05 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 93 points “I love the orange blossom aroma of this medium-bodied and beautifully balanced Kabinett that’s barely off-dry. Stacks of citrus and white peach fruit, but without being in the slightest bit loud. Fine tannins and a lively acidity complete the unique picture. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 
J.B. Becker Wallufer Oberberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $36.50, that’s $34.68 at 5% off and $32.85 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 94 points “Either you want to be pleased or you search for a stricter experience that has great expression and this wine falls into exactly the latter group. Cool, herbal and lemony, this has a very cool climate personality at a time where this is becoming increasingly rare. Very racy and stony on the medium-bodied palate. Long, crisp, but by no means tart finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 
J.B. Becker Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $36.50, that’s $34.68 at 5% off and $32.85 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 95 points “A great Rheingau Spatlese with terrific concentration, but also wonderful balance and a barely off-dry palate. Ripe apricot and mandarin orange aromas, but nothing is a jot too much. Fantastic intensity at the very long, complete finish where there’s a twist of licorice. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 
J.B. Becker Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau 2008 750ml Displayed Price: $51.50, that’s $48.93 at 5% off and $46.35 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
No reviews for the 2008. 2006 review provided for reference.
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 96 points “A really great Rheingau wine for this often disappointing vintage that has fantastic honeyed richness and elegant acidity, these elements beautifully interlocking and driving this across the palate in the direction of a lobster dinner. Barely off-dry finish with energy and spice. Drink or hold.”
Importer Notes “This is a release directly from the cellar. I have imported a small bit of this wine, years ago, and I remember loving it, but I did not taste it with Becker when I was there. To be honest, I have zero idea why he is offering me some now, but I never ask questions about this sort of thing. Collin did taste it and wrote that it has 34 grams of residual sugar and a seamless tension and is über-elegant. Hans Josef apparently responded: “It was not an easy wine to drink for the first five years. Either way, it is an honor to represent this history and we’ll all take it for granted, until it’s gone. And then we’ll tell stories to our grandchildren about Spätlesen that one could have with dinner, and about how Hans Josef Becker kept this in his cellar for nearly 20 years and only released it after he had spent the winter of 2023/2024 swimming in the Rhein, every single day.”

 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Shop our eleven in-stock J.B. Becker selections on sale now on our webstore!

Vinopolis Close-Out Sale Featurette:

Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch
 

Weingut Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch is a classic German Riesling producer. Named after the widow (wwe being the German abbreviation) who inherited the estate in the 19th century, Thanisch has been producing wine since 1636. As one of Germany’s most exceptional producers, Thanisch was one of the first estates invited to join the VDP Consortium in 1910, has continued to pursue excellence ever since.
 
In Stock Now:
 
Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese 2016 750ml Was $49, Now $41.90, 2 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2017 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett is fine and intense on the clear, elegant and floral-flinty nose. Lush and salty-piquant on the crystalline palate, this is a mouth-filling and textured Kabinett that probably includes some percentage of botrytis berries, which give it juicy, charming and mouth-filling character. The sweetness is round and fruity rather than sweet. It’s lovely to enjoy today, yet I’d recommend cellaring the 2017 for another 5-10 years. Tasted from AP 13 18 in March 2019.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

 
Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch Bernkasteler Graben Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2019 750ml Was $41.90, Now $36, 12 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2019 Bernkasteler Graben Riesling GG is adjacent to Thanisch’s Doctor parcel yet a bit less warm. From 60- to 70-year-old-vines, this is a smoky, intense and elegant Riesling with very fine, precise and crunchy gray slate aromas. Medium-bodied, intense and complex on the palate, this is a tight, long and structured dry Graben Riesling with a refreshing lemon aroma on the concentrated and refreshing finish. This is complex but very promising and currently pretty closed, although the bottle was opened two days earlier. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”

 
This is the only listing in the USA today!

We offer 242 wines on our Close-Out Sale in stock now.

Shop the sale on our webstore now!


 
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:

German Half-Bottle Sale
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock German half-bottles
10% off any 6 or more in-stock German half-bottles
 
Royal Tokaji Sale
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock wines from Royal Tokaji
10% off any 6 or more in-stock wines from Royal Tokaji
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
 
German Half-Bottle sale ends Tuesday, November 12th at 9 am Pacific. Royal Tokaji sale ends Wednesday, November 13th at 9 am Pacific.