2016 Agathe Bursin Strangenburg Pinot Noir

We are on a mission to understand the Alsace Wine Region and that means tasting through Alsatian wines. My husband bought this 2016 Agathe Bursin Strangenburg Pinot Noir for that purpose. We initially tasted it with Mediterranean style chicken thighs and we immediately liked the wine. It was inky purple colored in the glass the flavors were of black currents with a spicy yet, silky finish.
I learned online that Agathe Bursin, since taking over the family domaine in 2000, has rightly garnered a reputation as one of Alsace’s “comets in the sky”.
Agathe’s Domaine now totals around 5.5 hectares, split over the Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé and the Lieux-dits Bollenberg, Dirstelberg, Strangenberg, all around her home village of Westhalten near Colmar. Quantities from the 5ha estate are small and demand is high making the wines sell out fast.

To make the Pinot Noir, the grapes are hand picked then partially de-stemmed (40% – 60% depending on the vintage). There is no cold soak; fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks with eight days of maceration (longer would lead to the wine being too vegetal) before being transferred into used 228 litre pièces to complete the two months of fermentation. Maturation is for 20 months.
References:
1. Terroirs, Saturday 10th March, 2018 - Meet winemaker Agathe Bursin from Alsace.
2. WoodWinters: wines and whiskies, Agathe Bursin.
3. Frankly Wines, Fruit and Balance [Alsace Vault Vol. 1].