2011 Riesling Dirstelberg, Agathe Bursin

There are producers who manage to make wines that can be approached on an undemanding casual way, but still has a depth and complexity that so that each time you put your nose to the glass, or lip to rim, you discover something new. Agathe Bursine is such a producer. All wines from her extremely well-run small property are fresh, clean and fruity. Prices are very moderate, in fact too low according to all objective standards.

2011 Riesling Dirstelberg from Agathe Bursin in Westhalten has aromas of passion fruit fruit, lemons, ripe green apples and wet stones. The taste is medium bodied and harmonious with fresh acidity, lots of juicy fruit, a balance on the dry side and a wonderfully tight minerality that stays long in the mouth. This is how Riesling should taste! Price: €8.60.

2008 Pinot Noir, Agathe Bursin

When will Alsace Pinot Noir stand up against red Burgundy? Never, is a good answer because a good Echezeaux, Chambertin and Bonnes Mares is in a class by itself. Regardless of reference. But also since reds from Pfalz and Ahr quite often puts Alsace in place. Fortunately, there are exceptions, and several of them are to be found in the sector Rouffach, Westhalten and Soultzmatt. A little warmer, a little more iron, a little harsher but mostly - abundance  of determination, passion and skill.


2008 Pinot Noir from Agathe Bursin in Westhalten has carmine red color. The nose is well defined with currants, black cherries, cooked carrots and wonderfully integrated vanilla. The taste is initially acidic, but opens up in the glass and presents its' silky fruit, supple acidity and a tight finish with no trace of stalkiness. Price: € 14.

2009 Pinot Noir Strangenberg, Agathe Bursin

Not only is it a privilige to enjoy a tasting in the minimalistic living room of Agathe Bursin, to try a barrel sample of her extraordinary Pinot Noir is heaven. It is logical that the last couple of years, La Revue du Vin de France has selected her reds as being among the best of Alsace. It grows on Strangenberg, the hill which connects Grand Cru Vorbourg with Grand Cru Zinnkoepfle, where a calcareous bedrock and a protected exposure provide perfect conditions for Pinot Noir.

2009 Pinot Noir Strangenberg from Agathe Bursin in  Westhalten bursts of varietal aromas:  black cherries, burned rubber, blackberries, vegetables and Seville oranges. The taste has great volume and is saturated with fresh and vibrant fruit. A simply stunning barrel sample that will be released in June 2011 after 18 months on oak. Price: € 14.00.

2007 Sylvaner Cuvée "Z", Eric Rominger

Tradition is great in Alsace, much stronger than the commercialism, opportunism and short-sightedness. Therefore, many producers cultivate "lesser" grapes in the best locations. Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé is ideal for the Sylvaner, and is highly valued in the twin villages Westhalten and Soultzmatt, which together with Mittelbergheim and some villages in northern Alsace (Westhoffen and Bergbieten) give great Sylvaner, by any standards.

2007 Sylvaner Cuvée "Z" has a dense but quite restrained aroma of peach, pineapple and wet wool. The taste is fruity, quite dry, medium-bodied with a typical bitterness in the long aftertaste. Price: € 11.