Jane Eyre Cote de Nuits Villages 2023

Jane Eyre Cote de Nuits Villages

Region: Burgundy, France

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13%

This wine displays intense aromas of ripe blackberry and red cherry fruit coupled with hints of spice and rose petal. On the palate, juicy red fruits dominate with an elegant floral and subtle spicy character. As with all of Jane's wines, the Côtes de Nuits Villages is elegantly structured, with poised, delicate tannins, bright acidity and superbly defined fruit flavours. The finish is long and lifted.

As a micro-négociant, Jane works with some of Burgundy’s top growers, allowing her to secure parcels of fruit that beautifully showcase the varied and complex villages of Burgundy. The fruit for Jane’s Côtes de Nuits Villages comes from two parcels located in Corgoloin and Comblanchien, in the far south of the Côtes de Nuits, just north of the Hill of Corton. The Pinot Noir vines are planted on stony limestone soils and are on average 50 years old.

Upon arrival at the winery, a majority of the grapes were destemmed and crushed whilst a portion was left as whole bunch. Fermentation took place in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in four 300-litre used French oak barrels for 12 months with one racking. The final blend was assembled in early October and left to marry in tank for a few months, before being bottled unfiltered.

Originally from Melbourne, Jane Eyre was previously a hairdresser in one of the city’s top salons before she “fell in love” with Burgundy while doing work experience at Domaine Chevrot in 1998. She studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University in Australia and worked vintages at Cullen in the Margaret River, as well as Felton Road and Ata Rangi in New Zealand. She returned to Europe in 2003. Following a three-month spell with Ernie Loosen in the Mosel, she subsequently made Burgundy her home, working first at Domaine des Comtes Lafon and then as assistant winemaker at Domaine Newman. She has gradually developed her own négociant business since 2011 and was delighted to move from the rented space she shared with Dominique Lafon into her own premises in Cissey just before the 2021 harvest. In the 2021 edition of Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France, Jane Eyre was awarded two stars, one of only 26 producers in the whole of France to be recognised at this level. She was also named ‘Négociant of the Year’ in the Revue des Vins de France 2021, the first woman to be awarded the title. Both accolades are a phenomenal achievement for a relative newcomer to Burgundy.