Jane Eyre Beaune 1er Cru ‘Les Avaux’ 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Jane Eyre

Jane was the first Australian, and the first woman, to win the Negociant of the Year award by the Revue du Vin de France, an insider’s guide to France’s finest bottles. The prestigious title recognises the talent of a particular brand of winemaker – independent players who don’t own vineyards but buy grapes from others to make their own. This is a fantastic acknowledgment for Jane despite her impressive history of making wonderfully modest, approachable Pinot Noir.

Jane’s micro-négociant operation produces seriously small quantities making these Pinot Noirs extremely rare! Have a look at the wines, tiny volumes and extremely impressive reviews below.

‘As the wines developed in tank and then in barrel, there was a real transformation and we are very excited with all the new releases.’
Jane Eyre

In the Vineyard

In the Winery

The 2021 Vintage at Jane Eyre

The most talked about aspect of 2021 was that it was one of Burgundy’s smallest ever crops. The year started in April with warm weather conditions promoting early budburst, this was  followed by subzero temperatures which caused damaging frost to the young shoots and buds. Growers tried everything they could to save their crops. Smudge pots were alight everywhere and in the wealthier terroirs some enormous wind blowers were used to keep the air moving and avoid the temperatures falling too far. But, at -6 to -8c, there was little modern technology could do to save the crop. Some appellations were impacted more than others and sadly for Maison Jane Eyre, this led to the loss of our Bourgogne Blanc as white yields across the Cote de Beaune were significantly reduced. Nevertheless, our loss was humble compared to many.

Mild winters and warm March temperatures followed by frost in April are starting to become an annual occurrence here in Burgundy causing significant reductions in crop size.

Summer arrived and the vines began to develop. After the preceding dry, hot seasons of 2018, 2019 and 2020, it came as a bit of a surprise that we ended up having a cool, relatively wet season. This brings with it the complications of maintaining healthy vines. All the growers I buy grapes from are fastidious in their vineyards and this made a real difference to the quality of the fruit, in a challenging year.

Our first day of vintage began on 18th September with Beaune 1er cru Avaux.

It was the first year in the new winery and it was a luxury to take the time necessary on the sorting table to check each bunch of fruit before it went into the fermentation tanks. Due to the cool growing season, I moved back to destemming most of the fruit, with a couple of exceptions.

With the reduced volumes the decision was made to only buy 1 new barrel which was used for the Gevrey 1er cru. This was to ensure the wines were not dominated by new oak characters. The resulting wines are pure Pinot Noir. Paler in colour than the previous 3 vintages, wonderfully aromatic with plenty of fruit and elegant tannins across the board. They may appear on the lighter side in their youth but do not be deceived into thinking they don’t have the structure to age well. Actually, this year’s wines are quite traditional in their characteristics and remind us of how delicate pinot noir can be, something we can forget after 2018, 2019 and 2020 and the power that was evident in some wines.

As the wines developed in tank and then in barrel, there was a real transformation and we are very excited with all the new releases.

In light of the limited availability with many of my longstanding wines, we are thrilled to include the addition of several new cuvees to the winery this year (a first for some time). Alongside Fleurie, we now welcome a Julienas, with the intention that it will be most enjoyed in its youth, it is typically lighter and silkier in style.

Although there is no Bourgogne Blanc, we have welcomed a new Chardonnay from Santenay. The views from this vineyard took my breath away when we first visited. It was almost hard to believe that we were still in the Santenay commune, since the approach is via Dezize-les-Maranges and for those who know the area, involves traversing the Trois (3) Croix before descending to the vineyard.

In my days at Domaine Newman, we made a Beaune 1er cru Avaux and so the opportunity to welcome fruit from this climate felt somewhat like a homecoming. In recent years I have produced Beaune 1er cru Cent Vignes and also Beaune 1er cru Greves, that has come to me via the Hospices de Beaune. Avaux is of a very much lighter scale and texture than these other two parcels and 2021 certainly helps to highlight its delicacy.

Where in the World is Jane Eyre?