Hospices de Beaune: Elevage by Jane Eyre

The importance of elevage to the Hospices de Beaune wines is often overlooked, but in reality, quite a bit can be done to change and improve the Hospices’ wines.

I have been looking at the effects of elevage – the oak used (often the Hospices barrel), racking, barrel time, etc. – and this has led to some surprising, and important, conclusions.

A Hospices wine

Jane Eyre, eleveur
Corton Grand Cru Clos du Roi, Cuvée Baronne du Baÿ 2021

Jane Eyre’s barrel swap

Jane Eyre decided to swap the barrel that the Corton came in and replace it with an old Rousseau barrel. The elevage was relatively short, helping keep freshness in the wine. This was a good decision, as she managed to retain the wine’s liveliness and vividness without any disturbing reduction.

The wine has a bit of the slightly perfumed style that the regular Jane Eyre wines have in a vintage like 2022, along with good balance and delightful energy. It is more contemporary and forwardly fruity than the Lafarge-matured version of the same wine.

Video tasting note

The wine was bottled for Shishi-Iwa House, which owns and runs some lovely and interesting hotels in Japan.

Information about the hotels can be found at www.shishiiwahouse.jp and Instagram @shishiiwahouse. 

About Shishi-Iwa House (from its web site)

“Shishi-Iwa House is an international hospitality brand deeply rooted in Japan. It is a collection of intimately crafted retreats, fusing a mastery of contemporary architecture, design, and art with culinary taste-making and a deep connection with nature. Shishi-Iwa House is a sponsor of sustainable architecture and its positive impacts on human emotions and the environment.

Shishi-Iwa House’s first retreat is in the national park of Karuizawa, where it is home to three architectural masterpieces: SSH No.01 and SSH No.02 by Shigeru Ban; and SSH No.03 by Ryue Nishizawa. SSH No.04, by Pritzker Prize laureate Kazuyo Sejima, is scheduled to open in 2025 in Hakone, Japan. International locations are currently being planned for openings thereafter.”

I will write more on this topic in a future series about the elevage of the Hospices wines.