Jean-Pierre Robinot

The story of JP Robinot is legendary among wine lovers. He fell in love with wine at a young age and moved to Paris, where he met pioneers of natural winemaking. He subsequently opened one of the first wine bars specializing in natural wines. In addition to the bar, he founded the leading French magazine on natural wines, Le Rouge et le Blanc. It was only a matter of time before he started making wine himself, so in 2000 he left Paris and moved back to the village in the Loire Valley where he grew up. Jean-Pierre farms a total of seven hectares across two appellations: Jasnieres and Coteaux-du-Loir, and focuses on just two varieties: Chenin Blanc and Pineau d'Aunis. The vines grow on a mixture of red clay, limestone and flint and are organically tended, most often in the form of wild plants such as nettles and ferns. The vines are harvested by hand by Jean Pierre. Subsequent fermentation takes place in a labyrinth of ancient limestone caves beneath the vineyards. Thanks to the low temperature in the caves, the wines ferment very slowly.

video: Portraits of winemakers / JP ROBINOT

Jean-Pierre Robinot with his daughter Julliete, la Dive Boutellie, 2.2.2020