Jean-Pierre Robinot, Chenin Blanc 'Lumiere de Silex' 2023

Before acquiring vines in the northern reaches of the Loire in the early ‘00s, Jean-Pierre Robinot was already deep in the natural wine world. He had opened one of Paris’ first natural wine bars, and launched a magazine devoted to the topic. From the jump, his wines saw no sulfur, years in barrel, and were bottled unfiltered with hand-painted, constantly-changing labels. It would all sound a bit out there if not for the fact that the wines are consistent and delicious. They’re both singular and crowd-pleasing, and they continue to represent phenomenal value for the price. This chenin blanc is a crisp, vibrant white wine with bright acidity and salty notes.