ROBINOT RELEASE

Loire Legend Robinot has done it again!

Hey. Fionn doin’ the double this week and what a week it’s been! Feels like summer is officially here. You know what goes perfectly with a bit of sunshine? Good wine. Can’t beat it.

The week kicked off with a tasting of the new Robinot releases. Plenty of worse ways to spend a Monday morning. These are the most accomplished bottles I’ve tasted from this cellar in a while. Partly down to the cool 2023 vintage, and partly Robinot doing what he does best, allowing time to do its thing.

Charme is absolutely rippin’. Normally, I’d say give it a few years to mellow, but I’m an acid head and I want all that electric glory right now. So fresh, so clean. Hydrating, pristine stone fruit layered over that signature flinty core. Grab one for now, and one for the cellar. Future you will be very grateful.

If patience isn’t your thing, we have you covered with L’Iris. He’s done the aging for us. King. Three years in old barrels has brought this one into its own. Vines here are nearing a century old and the concentration is immense. There’s a whisper of VA giving a needed lift to balance it all out. Then you’re into waves of custard apple, sea salt, and roasted nuts. Hedonistic stuff. Easily my Chenin of the year. There’s barely any left. Last three bottles! Go go go.

And it’s not just the whites, the reds are singing too. Le Regard, from young Pineau d’Aunis vines is effortless. Sour cherry fruit with a splash of that classic white pepper spice. Chilled down and you’re laughing. Lumière des Sens steps things up, a more concentrated take on P d’A, especially when compared side by side with Le Regard (a tasting experiment everyone should try). Alluring aromatics, spiced blue fruit, and real presence on the palate thanks to the warmer vintage.

Lastly, Concerto di Venezia is a rarity in that the Robinots have played around with some Cab Franc, sourced from a friend’s vineyard in Touraine. Same winemaking style as his other reds and just as drinkable. Light, bright, soft tannins. Cab Franc + Pineau D’Aunis = double spice = double nice!

After tasting through all those Loire ‘23s, I required some Monday night refreshment, so I opened the only bottle of Loire Chenin I had from the same year to see if it’s a vintage thing. I picked this up in Paris recently on a whim (it has a nice label). Lucky for me, it was bloody delicious. Luckily for you, the UK importer had some stock, and just like magic, it’s now available online.

Jérôme has been making wine since 2007 on the hills around the Layon, a place we very much want to be. He started on the commercial side but got swept up in the natural wine movement thanks to legends like Babass & Desplats. His Chenin from the cool ‘23 vintage is singing. Driving acidity, yes, but also this plush, opulent side that doesn’t lose an ounce of drinkability. That’s my #2 Chenin of the year. Biclir is the only wine Jérôme made in 2022, a blend of everything he had. It’s in a beautiful place right now. Fruity, layered, balanced. Exceptional drinking that only comes from a blend like this. You’ve got to taste it to believe it.

How could things get even better? Well we’ve also just launched our latest tasting! Join us on the 14th of May for an evening with Hannes Storm of Storm Wines. We’re buzzing to welcome one of the most exciting names in South African wine for what’s sure to be a night to remember—or not, depending on whether you stick around for a bottle (or two) after…

Former head winemaker at Hamilton Russell, Hannes went solo in 2014 and has been quietly redefining what South African Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can be. Think Burgundy-style elegance with a Southern Hemisphere pulse. Fragrant, precise, full of energy. He’s the only winemaker bottling Pinot from all three sub-regions of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley: the Valley, Upper Valley, and Ridge. Everything’s estate-grown, minimally handled, and aged with intent. The wines see a masterful use of oak and a patient 15 months in bottle before release. In a nutshell, they’re bloody tasty. Come hang out! Oh, this is one is bargain too ‘cos we’re generous round here. Where else in London can you get this kinda value for £25!?!

Gonna got catch some rays
ILY
Fionn
xoxo