Jean-Pierre Robinot is a legend in the world of artisanal wines, considered a “guru” of the Loire and of all of France. An eclectic, unconventional and alternative character, 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, “l'Ange Vin”. It was one of the first wine shops to offer a selection of exclusively artisanal bottles. A few years later he decided to found “Rouge et Blanc”, one of the most influential and appreciated French wine magazines of the 1980s and 1990s. More years passed and Jean-Pierre discovered that if he wanted to begin to really 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 hometown in the Loire, purchasing a small vineyard just outside the village of Chahaignes, where he still lives. Today there are 10 hectares, divided into several areas, and are located halfway between Tours and Le Mans, near the Sarthe river, a tributary of the Loire.

Robinot, with the help of his wife Noella, started with a series of plots populated by old vines, also introducing new rows of Chenin Blanc and Pineau d'Aunis. Chenin Blanc is the white grape variety of the "long river", which loves the cool and the ocean, with a very fragrant, introverted and slightly aromatic profile, difficult to interpret when young and with great aging potential. Pineau d'Aunis is a very rare local variety, grown only in some areas of the Loire, which when tasted is similar to Pinot Noir (despite having no genetic link), even if it is more exuberant and spicy. From the beginning Jean Pierre decided to adopt biodynamic agriculture, which made use of 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, fermentations take place very slowly (for almost a year) exclusively with indigenous yeasts and the refinements take place in old used barrels, laid down in the humid cellars of the property. The use of invasive processes, such as filtrations, or the addition of sulphites in the various phases do not belong to the world of Robinot (in fact, each label bears the words “Vins SAINS”, that is, “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 travel the Loire-Paris leg. Today the Robinot winery produces two lines: “Les Vigne de L'Ange Vin”, which come from the estate’s vineyards, and “L'Opera des Vins”, which identifies wines obtained from grapes purchased from winegrower friends who work the land very carefully and respectfully. Robinot wines are paintings by a mad artist, gifted with an indisputable artistic flair (also visible in the extravagant labels he creates), but also with a strong sensitivity that materializes in the vineyard. Reds, whites and sparkling wines that need to be listened to for a long time, gifted with a unique finesse, a fascinating subtlety and a very deep charm. Enchanting artistic portraits of the Loire.

Jean-Pierre Robinot is a legend in the world of artisanal wines, considered a “guru” of the Loire and of all of France. An eclectic, unconventional and alternative character, 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, “l'Ange Vin”. It was one of the first wine shops to offer a selection of exclusively artisanal bottles. A few years later he decided to found “Rouge et Blanc”, one of the most influential and appreciated French wine magazines of the 1980s and 1990s. More years passed and Jean-Pierre discovered that if he wanted to begin to really 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 hometown in the Loire, purchasing a small vineyard just outside the village of Chahaignes, where he still lives. Today there are 10 hectares, divided into several areas, and are located halfway between Tours and Le Mans, near the Sarthe river, a tributary of the Loire.

Robinot, with the help of his wife Noella, started with a series of plots populated by old vines, also introducing new rows of Chenin Blanc and Pineau d'Aunis. Chenin Blanc is the white grape variety of the "long river", which loves the cool and the ocean, with a very fragrant, introverted and slightly aromatic profile, difficult to interpret when young and with great aging potential. Pineau d'Aunis is a very rare local variety, grown only in some areas of the Loire, which when tasted is similar to Pinot Noir (despite having no genetic link), even if it is more exuberant and spicy. From the beginning Jean Pierre decided to adopt biodynamic agriculture, which made use of 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, fermentations take place very slowly (for almost a year) exclusively with indigenous yeasts and the refinements take place in old used barrels, laid down in the humid cellars of the property. The use of invasive processes, such as filtrations, or the addition of sulphites in the various phases do not belong to the world of Robinot (in fact, each label bears the words “Vins SAINS”, that is, “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 travel the Loire-Paris leg. Today the Robinot winery produces two lines: “Les Vigne de L'Ange Vin”, which come from the estate’s vineyards, and “L'Opera des Vins”, which identifies wines obtained from grapes purchased from winegrower friends who work the land very carefully and respectfully. Robinot wines are paintings by a mad artist, gifted with an indisputable artistic flair (also visible in the extravagant labels he creates), but also with a strong sensitivity that materializes in the vineyard. Reds, whites and sparkling wines that need to be listened to for a long time, gifted with a unique finesse, a fascinating subtlety and a very deep charm. Enchanting artistic portraits of the Loire.