2024 Becker Family Pinot Gris

The 2024 Becker Family Pinot Gris comes from Friedrich Becker Jr.'s estate in Schweigen, at the far southern tip of Germany's Pfalz region where it borders Alsace. Unlike the lean, stainless-steel style common across the Pfalz, this wine undergoes 12 to 24 hours of skin maceration before fermenting in a combination of stainless steel and large oak barrels, then spends five months on the lees. The extended skin contact gives the wine a faint blush or pale copper hue and a texture that sets it apart from any conventional Pinot Gris you'll find in Lincoln Park. Friedrich Becker Jr. has established himself as one of Germany's most acclaimed Pinot specialists, farming organically on the estate's limestone and sandy-loam soils. The Becker family's vineyards sit at the southernmost point of the Pfalz, where the influence of Alsace's winemaking traditions is unmistakable. The extended skin contact and barrel fermentation are techniques more common across the border, but Becker applies them with restraint, allowing the fruit and terroir to remain front and center. The result is a wine that bridges the precision of German winemaking with the textural richness of Alsatian Pinot Gris. On the nose, ripe pear, white peach, and citrus blossom lead, joined by hints of fresh strawberry, dried apricot, and a subtle floral lift. The extended skin contact brings a gentle savory quality — dried herbs and crushed stone — that gives the aromatics depth beyond simple fruit. On the palate, bright orchard fruit and citrus zest open the mid-palate, followed by a creamy, lees-driven texture and a delicate tea-like tannic thread from the maceration that provides structure without roughness. Underlying notes of white spice, almond, and the estate's mineral-driven soils emerge on the long finish. Pair it with grilled fish, soft cheese, charcuterie, or roasted chicken with herbs. The 2024 Becker Family Pinot Gris is available now at Off Premise in Lincoln Park for pickup at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.