J.B. Becker Martinsthaler Rodchen Riesling Auslese Trocken, Rheingau, Germany 2023

The mastermind behind the wines of J.B. Becker is the mustache-forward Hans-Josef Becker, affectionately called “HaJo” by the importer Vom Boden. We’ll go with that.

HaJo is the second generation of his family to farm their vineyards organically. His wines ferment in pressurized tanks using only wild yeasts. He then racks them into traditional large barrels and ages them for at least two years, releasing them “willy-nilly,” sometimes after an extraordinarily long élevage. His obsession with dry Riesling started in the 1960s while studying under the cellar master at the now-defunct Schloss Eltz, tasting fresh wines straight from the cask before any süssreserve was added. When he took the helm at Becker in 1971, he made trocken his focus, decades before it became a cultural phenomenon. There are no gimmicks, secrets, philosophies or tricks behind HaJo’s winemaking. The bottles simply speak for themselves.

"Stand back as the apricot express arrives in your glass. Rich and powerful, but only medium- to full-bodied, with terrific freshness and extract. They easily balance the 14% alcohol, although it is really unusual for this grape. The very compact yet balanced finish makes a bold statement. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Glass stopper." - James Suckling