Jane Eyre Volnay, Burgundy
Country: France Region: Burgundy Vintage: 2019
Category: Red Wine Color: Red
Producer: Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre-Renard is originally from Melbourne. In 1998, she was working as a hairdresser when she asked a customer, who happened to be the wife of wine writer Jeremy Oliver, if she knew of any wineries where she could do work experience. The Olivers recommended Burgundy, which has since been an inextricable part of Jane’s life. “I fell in love with France, and Burgundy is just what I wanted to make.” Back in Australia, she took a job with the legendary Prince Wine Store and studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University. After working vintages at Cullen in the Margaret River, and Felton Road and Ata Rangi in New Zealand, she returned to Europe in 2003. Work for three months with Ernie Loosen in the Mosel led into a job in Burgundy with Domaine des Comtes Lafon in January 2004. She then took over as assistant winemaker at Domaine Newman, and has slowly developed her own négociant business, renting a small winery in Bligny-les-Beaune with Dominique Lafon. Though we’d known of Jane for years through the Prince Wine Shop connection, we only met her in May 2015 while in Burgundy with the Shaw and Smith winemaking team. We immediately fell for her style, which is scented, balanced and scrupulously clean. Her 2013 Corton-Renardes is outstanding. She only made three barrels, one of which was new oak. The wine is subtle, its intensity sneaking up on you in the glass. Unfortunately, the vineyard was sold after the 2013 vintage so none was made in subsequent years.
Product Features: Sustainable;Vegan;Vegetarian
Winemaker: Jane Eyre-Renard
2019 proved to be an exceptional vintage in Burgundy. After a mild winter, the warm summer months and below average rainfall resulted in berries that display concentrated aromas and flavours, and consequently wines with huge ageing potential.
Time in the vineyard and a minimum intervention approach in the winery is the hallmark of Jane Eyre’s winemaking style. Small parcels of low-yielding fruit were handpicked and de-stemmed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in stainless-steel tanks, with a combination of gentle pump overs and punchdowns employed as needed. The wine was first matured in used French oak barriques and then racked tank. It was then bottled without fining or filtration.
