Jane Eyre
Born and raised in country Victoria, Australia, Jane Eyre first discovered Burgundy during two harvests at Domaine Chevrot in Santenay (1998–1999), where she found the region she would eventually call home. The experience convinced her that she wanted to make wine, and to make it in Burgundy.
While studying Wine Science at Charles Sturt University, Jane gained experience with some of the Southern Hemisphere's most respected producers, including Cullen in Margaret River (2001), Ata Rangi in Martinborough (2002–03), and Felton Road in Central Otago (2003). Harvests at Domaine Thierry Matrot and Domaine des Comtes Lafon further strengthened that conviction, leading her to leave Australia permanently in 2003.
After a vintage at Dr. Loosen in Germany, Jane returned to Burgundy, spending much of 2004 at Domaine des Comtes Lafon while completing harvest at Domaine J.F. Mugnier. These formative years provided invaluable experience alongside some of Burgundy's most respected domaines.
In 2007, Jane was appointed full-time winemaker at the American-owned Domaine Newman in Beaune, where she worked across appellations from Monthélie to Beaune Premier Crus and two Côte de Nuits Grands Crus.
Four years later, in 2011, Jane established her own négociant label, beginning with just five barrels of Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Vergelesses Premier Cru. As she gradually built relationships with growers willing to entrust her with the same vineyard parcels year after year, the range expanded steadily. From the beginning, Jane's philosophy has been consistent: to source fruit only from meticulously farmed vineyards practising lutte raisonnée, organic, or biodynamic viticulture.
Australia has remained an important part of Jane's story. Since 2012, she has returned each Southern Hemisphere harvest to produce Pinot Noir from some of Australia's leading cool-climate regions, beginning with the Mornington Peninsula before adding Gippsland, the Yarra Valley, and later Tasmania. Long-standing collaborations with Australian friends and growers continue to inform her perspective, creating a unique dialogue between Burgundy and Australia. Over the last decade, Jane has also worked with various Australian-based friends and colleagues, including Bill Downie and Jim Chatto.
By 2018, Jane had built both the confidence and the scale to devote herself entirely to her own wines, leaving Domaine Newman after more than a decade. Fifteen years after arriving in Burgundy, having learned a new language, established lasting relationships with growers, and earned the trust of one of the world's most closely-knit wine communities, her recognition as Négociant of the Year by La Revue du Vin de France in 2021 reflected years of patient, dedicated work rather than overnight success.
The next chapter came in July 2021 with the purchase of her own winery in Cissey, just outside Beaune. After extensive renovations, the cellar was ready for harvest, followed by the construction of a temperature-controlled, above-ground cellar, designed around the property's unique natural water source, in time for the 2022 vintage.
In 2026, Jane was named Technical Director, over-seeing vineyards and cellars at the prestigious Domaine des Comtes Armand in Pommard, a testament to her dedication, experience, and reputation as a winemaker.
Today, Jane works with carefully selected growers across the Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, and Beaujolais, producing a collection that ranges from Bourgogne Blanc to Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines. Although the portfolio has grown considerably since those first five barrels, her philosophy remains unchanged: thoughtful farming, meticulous winemaking, and wines that express both the character of their vineyard and the people behind it.
Photos: Michel Joly
