JF Becker 2002 Riesling Kronenbourg (Alsace) – Hits like a dull cleaver, delivering a sharp blow but failing at a clean, precise blow. This isn’t to discount the wine’s qualities, which include a round-bellied minerality and a shiny, affable gloss to the finish. But it’s just a touch less precise than the slightly superior 2001. (4/08)

JP&JF Becker 2001 Riesling Kronenbourg (Alsace) – A composite note. The first bottle is advanced, with creamier and more oxidative notes in concert with a quartzy mineral spice and flashing whiteness, while the second bottle is much more along expected lines, with firm malic acidity and a fresh, glacial wash over white rocks. Well-stored and with cork intact, this has years yet to go. (7/07)