2014 Jane Eyre Volnay

Jane Eyre is a native Australian who developed a taste for Burgundy while working in a Melbourne wine shop. She worked grape harvests in Burgundy, New Zealand and Australia and in 2004 moved to Burgundy to learn winemaking. Eyre landed a position at Frédéric Mugnier but in 2011 decided to strike out on her own as a micro-negociant based in Meursault. She sources grapes from growers who practice sustainable viticulture and she shares a winemaking facility with Dominique Lafon. Eyre produces very small quantities of red Burgundy. Wine Advocate has noted that Eyre brings a touch of new world style to her winemaking: “Opting to bottle earlier than others, she sought to capture their freshness rather than allowing them a second winter to develop in barrel. Is there is soupçon of the New World here? Well, if there is then she cherry-picks the best bits and infuses them with Burgundy.”

Volnay is a small appellation with just 904 vineyard acres and a town of fewer than 500 residents. Nevertheless, to Burgundy enthusiasts, it's a jewel. Clive Coates calls Volnay “one of the most delightful wines and one of the most rewarding communes in the Côte d’Or.” Robert M. Parker Jr. described Volnay as “the queen of the Côte de Beaune.” Volnay has always been appealing. In the 13th and 14th centuries the powerful Dukes of Burgundy acquired land there and built chateaux. The medieval town sits on the hillside above the vineyards and the appellation is restricted to red wines made of Pinot Noir. Though there are no Grands Crus, there are 35 Premiers Crus. Some reviewers say the lighter soil of Volnay, compared with Pommard to the north, makes Volnay wines more delicate and elegant than wines from neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that Volnay has a “high-quality level of winemaking…The top Volnays possess an immense, seductive fruitiness and lushness…”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.