Somm’s Selection – June

Bitten by the wine bug, Jane Eyre left her native Victoria to help with the 1998 harvest at Domaine Chevrot, in Burgundy. The former hairdresser’s 23 year-long career saw her working stints in Margaret River, New Zealand and the Mosel before landing a job at Domaine des Comtes Lafon in 2004. She then took over as assistant winemaker at Domaine Newman, eventually developing her eponymous négociant label. 

Eschewing a one-size-fits-all approach to the cellar, respect for the individuality of the terroir is central to Jane’s winemaking. As a micro-negociant, Jane works closely with a handful of sustainable growers in Burgundy, even showing up to handle the harvests herself. In deftly adopting techniques such as whole bunch fermentation to suit the vintage, Jane’s wines show off the alluring nuances of Burgundy’s terroirs to their best advantage. Having been a long standing producer in Burgundy with many strong relationships, Jane is able to source from a number of growers including many working organically and biodynamically. 

In recognition of her talent, Jane was named Négociant of the Year by La Revue du Vin de France, making her the first Australian and woman to earn the accolade. She is also listed as one of only 26 ‘Two Star’ Producers in Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2021.

The fruit for Jane’s Côtes de Nuits Villages comes from two parcels located in Comblanchien, in the southern part of the Côtes de Nuits appellation. The plots are just 30 metres apart, one of which is farmed biodynamically.

Both parcels were picked on the same day and vinified together, with 30% whole-bunch and the remainder destemmed and crushed. Fermented using natural yeast in stainless-steel tanks, this wine follows Jane’s hallmark minimal intervention approach, with gentle pump overs and punch downs employed as needed. The wine was aged in French oak barriques, of which 10% was new, and racked once before it was bottled in the first week of December 2019.