Friedrich Becker's Grauburgunder

And now for the final wine in this, January's little Grauburgunder excursion. At EUR 15, it is the priciest - by a clear margin - of the four GBs covered, so any comparison of quality may be slightly askew. But here's an assessment nonetheless.

Weingut Friedrich Becker, Grauburgunder "Kalkmergel" trocken 2011, Pfalz, Germany
As intimated in the description on the back label (see below), this wine has quite a flushed appearance. More a hint of roasted salmon than anything too overt - the result of the juice being left on the dark Grauburgunder skins over a 42-hour period.

An elegant, walnut/hazelnut nose with a suggestion of toasted aromas, honeydew and some citrus. Succulent and sappy on the palate with a touch of berry fruit (strawberry) and honeydew again. Juicy, satisfying yet still fairly light-footed. The finish is medium. However, if I were to be hyper-critical, I would say I'm missing some of the complexity you would expect in this, the more expensive wine.

Whether the extended period of maceration was worth the three to four euros more, apart from lending the wine a darker appearance, is a moot point. Strangely, this Grauburgunder reminds me a little of a blanc de noirs I had last year that punched above its weight and cost some 5 euros less. In quality terms, I would put it on a pedestal with that and with Keller's Grauburgunder.