With lovely richness, glossy texture, and imposing purity of fruit, Bursin’s 2004 Pinot Gris Zinnkoepfle also displays more delicacy and lift as well as refinement than its 2005 counterpart, if marginally less sheer intensity. Pear nectar, ripe peach, subtle meatiness and an aura of smoke, honey and spice follow from the nose through the finish. This should be interesting to follow for a few years, particularly in tandem with the 2005. Agathe Bursin – whose inaugural vintage was 2000, prior to which her family sold their grapes to the local coop – is one of Alsace’s major emerging talents. Although this widely-traveled young viticultrice (her preferred title) farms fewer only ten acres and is already chronically sold out, she says she does not intend to increase production by more than another third, and then only over the long run. Bursin indicated she had more botrytis in 2005 than in 2004, even though she harvested quite late (and even though this is the opposite experience from that of Mure in neighboring Rouffach) because Westhalten’s clay-poor soils generally retain very little moisture.A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29.