Volnay Premier Cru 'Les Mitans', Jane Eyre, 2024
Volnay Premier Cru 'Les Mitans', Jane Eyre, 2024
- 75cl
- 13%
- Red Still
- Pinot Noir
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Optimal drinking window: 2027 - 2038
Les Mitans is one of Volnay's most quietly compelling premiers crus. Tucked between Champans and Taillepieds, it tends to produce wines of real finesse rather than obvious power.
2024 could hardly suit Jane Eyre better. A cool, rain-affected year with low natural alcohols and sharply reduced volumes, it demanded obsessive sorting and restraint in the cellar. Jane delivered both. Sorting varied dramatically by site, with some parcels requiring extraordinary attention, but the results are wines of clarity, finesse, and unmistakable origin.
Whole-bunch use was carefully judged and varied by cuvée. In a vintage where some light-touch producers struggled to find flavour, Jane’s wines retain purity, energy, and real Pinot character.
"Surrounded by serious neighbours and low on the slope. Transparent and mineral, with a delicate, finely etched palate. Subtle oak and a sense of calm authority rather than overt power."
Stewart Pryce, Honest Grapes Wine Club Manager
This needs a little time, perhaps until 2027 at the earliest - but the structure is there for a long and comfortable run.
Right now, Les Mitans 2024 is still finding its feet. The fruit is pure and the structure is evident, but the wine needs time to knit together — think of it as a sentence where the words are all there but the punctuation hasn't quite settled. From around 2027, the primary red cherry and dark fruit character should begin to integrate with the mineral, earthy depth that Les Mitans reliably delivers. By 2029 or 2030, the whole-bunch element will have folded in rather than announced itself, adding savouriness and length. The plateau is likely somewhere between 2030 and 2036, where finesse and complexity should be working in proper concert. Beyond that, well-stored bottles will continue gracefully, though this is a wine of elegance rather than immortality.
What the critics say:
"A noble Volnay, this has classy, filigree tannins and stylishly integrated freshness. Licorice, black cherries, mulberries and damp tree bark create a dynamic aromatic profile. This saw 20% whole cluster and was aged in once-used oak. The solid finish and evident concentration suggest it would be ideal to age this several years at least to really see the terroir’s full effect."
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale to mid ruby with a translucent, luminous quality typical of Volnay.
NoseLifted red cherry, damson, and violet lead the charge, with a cool undercurrent of damp earth and crushed stone. There is a freshness here that speaks directly to the 2024 vintage's cool, precise character.
PalateSilky and refined, with fine-grained tannins that coat rather than grip. The red fruit holds its shape well, supported by lively acidity and a saline, mineral thread that runs through to the back palate.
FinishLong and clean, with the mineral quality lingering alongside a whisper of spice.
Overall impressionA precise, cool-vintage Volnay that rewards patience rather than rushing.
Food Pairings
In the Côte de Beaune, a wine like this would most naturally find itself across the table from a roast pintade — guinea fowl — with butter-braised chanterelles and a glass of something similar in the cook's hand. The locals have an instinct for keeping things in proportion: no heavy sauces, nothing that would overwhelm those silky tannins. Coq au vin made properly, with good Burgundy in the pot, is another natural pairing, as is a simple roast rack of lamb with thyme. Aged Époisses is a brave move, but the acidity holds its own.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 15-16°C — slightly cooler than you might expect for a red, which keeps the floral lift intact. Decanting for 30 to 45 minutes would not go amiss for the 2024 given its youth, but do not over-aerate it or you risk losing the delicate top notes. A large-bowled Burgundy glass is the right choice here, giving the aromatics room to open without dissipating.
Les Mitans sits on the mid-slope of Volnay's premier cru belt, on soils of limestone and clay with a significant presence of Bathonian and Bajocian limestone beneath a relatively thin topsoil. The aspect is easterly to south-easterly, which in Volnay tends to produce wines with a little more lift and floral character than the deeper, richer premiers crus lower on the slope. Drainage here is good, which helps during tricky vintages like 2024, and the combination of rocky subsoil and modest fertility keeps yields naturally in check.
Volnay is one of the Côte de Beaune's most celebrated red wine communes, sitting between Pommard to the north and Meursault to the south. Where Pommard tends toward structure and weight, Volnay is Burgundy's byword for elegance: lighter in colour, more floral, with a silkiness that sets it apart from its neighbour. The appellation has no grands crus, but its premiers crus — and Les Mitans is firmly among the respected names — more than compensate for that. All Volnay AOC wine must be red, made from Pinot Noir.
The 2024 growing season in Burgundy was, frankly, a test of nerve. A wet spring brought significant mildew pressure, and vignerons who stayed sharp in the vineyard — working fast, keeping canopies open, reducing yields where necessary — came out the other side with something worth talking about. Summer brought warmer, drier conditions that helped the fruit recover composure, and harvest arrived broadly on the later side, with growers picking carefully to find phenolic ripeness without sacrificing freshness. Quantity was down across much of the Côte, which concentrates minds as much as it concentrates wine.
What emerged is a vintage that rewards those who put the work in. The Pinots we have tasted carry real precision and translucency — not because they are light, but because the acidity is lively and the fruit unforced. Chardonnays from the Côte de Beaune look particularly promising: taut, mineral, with genuine length. This is not a vintage to panic-open. Most village and premier cru reds want three to five years at minimum, with the better appellations drinking well until 2035 and beyond. The whites are more approachable now, though the best will reward patience too.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Think lifted red cherry, violet, and a cool mineral quality running underneath — more about precision and silkiness than weight or obvious fruit. It has the classic Volnay elegance: fine tannins, bright acidity, and a long, saline finish.
When should I drink this wine?
We would give it until at least 2027 before opening, and ideally 2028-2029 for the full picture. It will drink well until around 2038, with a likely peak somewhere in the 2030-2035 window for those with the patience to wait.
What food should I serve with it?
Roast guinea fowl, rack of lamb with herbs, or coq au vin are the classic Burgundian pairings. The silky tannins and bright acidity make it a natural with roasted and braised poultry and lighter cuts of meat — anything too rich or heavily sauced will overwhelm it.
How should I serve it?
Serve at around 15-16°C in a large Burgundy glass. A short decant of 30-45 minutes will help open the wine up, but do not leave it sitting too long or the floral aromatics will start to disappear.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
Yes, without hesitation. Les Mitans is a serious premier cru and the 2024, while approachable in a few years, has the structure and freshness to develop meaningfully over the next decade. If you have the cellar space, holding a few bottles until 2030 onwards will be well rewarded.
What makes the 2024 vintage in Burgundy distinctive?
2024 was a challenging year — wet and pressured throughout the growing season — but growers who farmed carefully and picked at the right moment made wines of real freshness and precision. The best 2024s are defined by their cool-climate energy rather than richness, which suits a wine like Volnay Les Mitans very well.
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