Description
Region: Loire
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vineyard Size: 5 hectares
Soil: red clay, flint
Average Age of Vines: 12 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: méthode ancestrale
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Robinot’s wine can take a long time to ferment, generally 2 to 4 years, but often even more. He believes in letting wines stay in their old oak barrels until fermentation is complete. Robinot operates under a “no rush” mentality and is fascinated by the changes the wines go through during this time. To the outsider Robinot’s process may seem like total chaos, but he is certainly the master of chaos knowing exact information about every barrel and bottle. Adding to the confusion, the labels on each wine are changed every year. The labels are frequently his or his daughter’s paintings or manipulated photographs, and are always identifiable as Robinot’s.
He currently makes two different lines that are both made without sulphur or any other interventions. Domaine de L’Ange Vin wines are made from grapes grown in his own vineyards, and Opera du Vin wines that are made from the grapes he purchases from nearby vignerons.
