Jean-Pierre Robinot, Pineau d'Aunis 'Lumières des Sens' 2020

The Loire is an exciting place for wine at the moment. A flood of natural producers are making styles that speak to exactly where they’re from, and some of our favorite grapes - familiar ones like chenin as well as more obscure local varieties - are getting their time in the spotlight. A winemaker who sums that all up is Jean-Pierre Robinot.

Like the pét-nats, this is old-vine, hand-harvested pineau d’Aunis that’s made without fining, filtering, or added sulfur. However, this is a red wine. It has the juiciness of pinot noir and the spicy, earthiness of cabernet franc.