Agathe Bursin: Quality Alsatian Wines 2-15-24

On Sale Now!

Alsace is a region that is easily appreciated and far too often overlooked. To be certain, there are die-hard fans of the dry and often powerfully aromatic wines. But the casual wine drinker might only explore the pleasant, entry-level field blends. The area is special for many reasons and one can find some treasures for youthful enjoyment and for the long haul in the cellar. Now it the time to expand your wine horizons.

The first step to appreciating Alsatian wines is understanding the unique climate and soils of the region. The area is typically quite dry and warm due to the sheltering influence of the Vosges. This leads to a concentration and power to the wines that should appeal to many new-world, white wine lovers.

Aside from that initial aromatic wow factor, the wines hold layers of complexity, especially from Grand Cru vineyards. These dot the entire length of the appellation, showcasing a variety of soils (volcanic, sandstone, marl, limestone, loess, slate, granite) in this relatively small stretch of valley.

Benchmark producers, such as Weinbach, Mann, and Zind-Humbrecht, can be increasingly difficult to find as their pricing creeps ever higher. Fortunately, there are smaller yet no less quality-minded producers available, such as Agathe Bursin.

We’ve beat this drum for quite some time, but Bursin’s wines are the shining example affordable quality. She’s making some of the best Sylvaner in the world, and her Pinot Gris, Rieslings, and Gewurztraminers rival examples from Weinbach and cult producer, Marcel Deiss. In general, her wines tend to run a touch leaner in style.

Bursin’s interest in grapegrowing and winemaking began in her childhood, stunning the locals that mostly considered such tasks to be for men. But winemaking was in her blood. Her forward-thinking maternal grandparents had left vineyards parcels to all of their children, including Bursin’s mother who loaned them to her brothers. When Bursin came of age, still expressing interest in winemaking, her mother gave her the parcels in 2000. Bursin studied winemaking in Burgundy and Rhone before launching her own label. There is a marked Chablisienne influence on her wines in terms of their clarity of flavor and brightness.

Of the vineyards she works with, we’re pleased to offer selections from the Dirstelberg and the Grand Cru Zinnkoepfle vineyards. Dirstelberg shows the most breadth across the palate, and the most stone fruit and orange up front. Delicious in its youth, it shows well with a couple of years to mellow out and develop some citrus oil and length in the finish.

The Zinnkoepfle vineyard is awash in fossil rich limestone and wraps around a hill top similar to Corton. The Bursin winery is situated right at the base of the vineyard and there is a clear connection with the terroir. The wine is powerful with tropical notes and the right balance of acidity to keep the wine feeling weightless. It is ages with grace, maintaining the lightness, salinity, but adding a creamy mid palate that is tremendously luxurious. It outperforms the price point, and makes you second guess the Weinbach or Trimbach you have in the cellar.

Bursin’s production may be small, but she is no less admired in her home country. Most of her production sells out being bottled to private clients, leaving little for the international market. Yet when it arrives in America, sometimes it gets overlooked, because she makes wines that are useful at the table (and are priced as such) instead of being ‘trophy’ wines for collectors to fight over. She lacks a national importer, which is another reason they might be a bit under the radar, though her wines are brokered by Thomas Calder (who also brokers Prevost, Cedric Bouchard, Bereche, Pattes Loup, and Boulay, among others) which speaks to the quality of the wines.

Given the small production and limited availability (the wines below are exclusively offered by us in the USA, after all), these wines are rarely reviewed. (We’ve included tasting notes from the IOC Alsace laboratory, which analyzes wines for accreditation; not the most romantic, but independent and descriptive, none the less.) We know you’ll adore them. They have more freshness and elegance than is typical for Alsace but more weight and gravitas than similar wines across the Voges. If you’re looking for white wines to go with lighter “red wine fare” like pork, chicken or braises, these make less filling, refreshing pairings (and they’re wonderful with salmon and crab, as well).

Stock up now while the sale is on!

5% off any 6-11 in-stock Agathe Bursin wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Agathe Bursin wines

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Discount ends Sunday, February 18th at 9 am Pacific

In Stock and On Sale Now from Agathe Bursin:

Agathe Bursin L’As de B 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $24, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 36 bottles in stock now
IOC Alsace note “[Translated] Pretty nose, hint of toast, good finesse. Rich and ample, a gourmand wine. Good length. 9.3 g/L residual sugar.”