Dominik Mueller

Tasting note

Der kleine Fritz (“Little Fritz”), that’s what the Friedrich Becker winery from the Palatinate on the border to Alsace calls its Pinot Noir, which it produces exclusively for the discounter Lidl in Germany. A red wine from the supermarket, even from a discounter? Is that possible? After listening to a recent interview with Friedrich Becker, I became interested and thought, why don’t I try the little Fritz? After all, Friedrich Becker is one of the Pinot specialists in Germany and as far as sales at discounters are concerned, the winery is in good company, for example Markus Molitor and Van Volxem also make wines for Lidl. (I’ll be tasting these soon, of course).

The colour is a transparent violet. Thick streaks in the glass. Fresh and cool on the nose. Plenty of wild berries. All in all a nice fresh fruity scent! In the mouth a rather thin body with slender tannins. The wine is probably matured in stainless steel tanks, which is of course also supported by the production volume. Very accessible, slightly astringent. Fresh on the palate with an acidic red fruit, slightly bitter. The taste is pleasant, but not long lasting. Der kleine Fritz is a rock-solid Pinot Noir and a surprisingly good wine for a purchase from a discounter. I plan to try it blind in the future against somewhat higher-priced red wines from the wine trade.

Drink through 2024.

Tasted by Dominik Müller on Friday, 4 August 2023.