Jean-Pierre Robinot, Opéra Rouge 2021

Robinot is a bit of a legend in natural wine circles. Introduced to wine early on in life, he quickly decamped to Paris and set up the city’s first natural wine bar, L’Ange Vin, and founded France’s first natural wine journal, Le Rouge et Le Blanc. Not surprising, then, that it didn’t take long for him to head back to his native Loire Valley and start making his own wines. He oversees seven hectares across two appellations, Jasnières and the Coteaux-du-Loir, which he farms organically and treats using natural infusions from wild nettles and ferns. Patience is the key word chez Robinot – each wine is given as long as it needs to reach its full potential, and the results are well worth the wait – these are energetic, graceful wines that are full of life.