Robinot - L'Ange Vin

Jean-Pierre Robinot is a legend in the world of artisanal wines and is considered a guru in the Loire region and in the whole of France. An eclectic, unconventional and different personality, he took his first steps in the world of wine in the early 1970s when, with all the energy and enthusiasm of a young teenager, he decided to open a wine bar in Paris, called ''l'Ange Vin''. It was one of the first wine bars to offer a selection of exclusively artisanal bottles. A few years later, he decided to launch "Rouge et Blanc", which was one of the most influential and popular French wine magazines of the 80s and 90s. A few more years went by and Jean-Pierre realised that if he wanted to truly understand a wine, he had to produce it himself. So in 2000, he decided to sell the wine shop and embark on a new adventure in his small Loire hometown, buying a small vineyard just outside the village of Chahaignes, where he still lives. Today there are 10 hectares, divided into different zones, and located halfway between Tours and Le Mans, near the Sarthe river, which is a tributary of the Loire.

Robinot, with the help of his wife Noella, started from a series of plots populated by old vines, introducing new lines of Chenin Blanc and Pineau d'Aunis. Chenin Blanc is the white grape variety of the "long river", which loves freshness and the ocean, and has a very fragrant, introverted and slightly aromatic profile. It is difficult to interpret in its youth and has great ageing potential. Pineau d'Aunis is a very rare local variety, cultivated only in certain areas of the Loire, which tastes similar to Pinot Noir (despite having no genetic link), although it is more exuberant and spicy. From the outset, Jean Pierre decided to adopt biodynamic agriculture, using strictly natural preparations obtained directly from the earth. The soil, composed of different concentrations of clay, silica and limestone, is healthy and intact. In the cellar, fermentation takes place very slowly (for almost a year), exclusively with indigenous yeasts, and ageing takes place in old, used barrels that lie in the property's damp cellars. The use of invasive processes, such as filtration, or the addition of sulphites in the various phases do not belong to Robinot's world (in fact, each label bears the words "Vins S.A.I.N.S.", or "Sans Aucun Intrant Ni Sulfite").

The first wine produced by the winery was called "Cuvée TGV" and was dedicated to the high-speed train that the boy took to cover the Loire-Paris route. Today, the Robinot winery produces two lines: "Les Vigne de L'Ange Vin", which originate from its own vineyards, and "L'Opera des Vins", which refers to wines made from grapes bought from winegrowing friends who cultivate the land in a very careful and respectful way. Robinot's wines are like art paintings, produced by a crazy artist, equipped with an unquestionable artistic flair (also visible in the extravagant labels he creates), but also with a strong sensitivity that materialises in the vineyard. Reds, whites and sparkling wines that are worth savouring, with their unique finesse, fascinating subtlety and profound charm. These are enchanting artistic portraits of the Loire.