Winery Overview
Agathe Bursin was born into a family of vintners. In 1939, her great grandfather was killed in an accident and the family joined the cooperative after the war. When Agathe was a child, her grandmother let her smell wines and decide if it was dominated by "fleure" or "fruit". In the kitchen, her grandmother made Agathe close her eyes and guess what was put in her mouth. These childhood experiences have contributed to Agathes current interest in flavors and fragrances. Located in the commune of Westhalten, about fifteen kilometers to the south of Colmar, three famous hills of calcareous formation, Zinnkoepflé, Strangenberg and Bollenberg, form a crown around the village. Westhalten is famous for its Mediterranean-like microclimate. Indeed, this area is among the driest areas of France (500 mm of precipitation per annum), because it is protected by the two highest summits in the Vosges, le Grand-Ballon and le Petit-Ballon. This feeble rainfall over ancient limestone soils (along with fossilized anemones and oyster shells) creates one of Alsace most unique terroirs. Today, Agathe Bursin has 3.85 ha, including 1.3 ha on Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé. The distribution is 5% Muscat, 15% Pinot Gris, and equal parts each of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and her beloved Sylvaner. Agathe Bursin also shows a lot of interest in co-plantation. You can sense the spirit and the determination of this charming, remarkable, and remarkably skilful viticultrice. It is no surprise that Agathe Bursin sells most of her wines before they are even on bottle. Annual production is 32,000 bottles.