Lumière des Sens, Jean-Pierre Robinot 2020

For lovers of real wine, the name Jean-Pierre Robinot and his story are legendary. He fell in love with wine at a young age, moved to Paris, met some of the natural wine movements true pioneers and subsequently opened one of the first bars dedicated to such wines in the city, L’Ange Vin and founded France’s premier journal on the topic, ‘Le Rouge et le Blanc’. It was only a matter of time before he could not resist the urge to join the vignerons he so loved and in the early two thousands he left Paris and moved with his wife Noella back to the village where he grew up in the very north of the Loire to do just that.

The Robinots farm a total of seven hectares of land across two appellations, Jasnières and the Coteaux-du-Loir. The vines are planted over a mix of red clay, limestone and silex and are tended organically, with the majority of treatments coming in the form of infusions of wild plants such as nettles and ferns. Parcels are harvested by hand individually and fermentations take place in the labyrinth of ancient limestone caves beneath the vines. They go slow and steady and can often last months, even years. 

Pineau d’Aunis is always a thrill when the Robinots are involved and this is no different. This comes from a forty year old parcel picked a little later than Le Regard, fermented on skins as whole bunches for three weeks, before being pressed off to barrels for fifteen months of rest. The nose is extremely expressive, heady with wildflowers and exotic spice, and reflecting the vintage the palate is plush with brambly fruit and framed by soft, supple tannins.

Producer Jean-Pierre Robinot

Origin Jasnières, Loire, France

Grapes Pineau d'Aunis

Vintage 2020

Alcohol 12% ABV

Style Light body sparkling red  

Bottle size 750ml 

Winemaking Manual harvested, fermented on skins whole bunch  with indigenous yeast, aged for 15 months on lees. Unfiltred and unfined. No added sulphites.

Notes Natural, Organic, Biodynamic