Pink grapefruit and grapefruit skin (the white part under the skin actually) are the first aromas you get, followed by delicate notes of incense, pepper and spice.
The texture is surreal on the palate, it’s the first thing that you notice. Like a light oil, so balanced, alcohol barely noticeable. Grapefruit, spices and red berries. A wine to glug, glug, glug!
Pay close attention to the way this wine pours, especially as it fills the glass!
Jean Pierre Robinot Concerto d’Oniss Magnum – structure from vinosseur on Vimeo.
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Of the many many many wines I have tasted over the years, Jean-Pierre produces some of the most vinous wines I have ever had the satisfaction of tasting. So, to summarize even before I begin this tasting note, this wine is super-vinous. What do I mean by that? When you pour the wine, there are two things you notice right away: the beautiful light pomegranate color and the way the wine pours from the bottle. It pours like you are pouring a light oil. Even when you swirl the glass, it seems as though you have a glass of pomegranate-colored oil. It appears thicker than other wines. And nothing has been added to this wine to make it this way. It’s just great quality grapes that have been squeezed just right. So, why this oily appearance and texture? That my friend is what we call structure and concentration that you can not only see, but that you can taste.
The labels? Well, Jean-Paul has either taken the photo or painted the picture himself to create his labels. All of his labels are unique and each wine and vintage has a different label. They are as unique as his wines.The Concerto d’Oniss is his base wine and is made from 100% Pinea d’Aunis grown in the Loire Valley (mostly around Tours, Anjou & Saumur) as naturally as possible, avoiding ALL treatments to the vines. A grape dating back to the Medieval Times, not many producers grow this grape thanks to the ever-increasing demand for more well-known varieties. Thankfully, there are a small handful of producers who still work with this grape. I have tasted the wines from 4 or 5 different producers working with this grape and have noticed certain common characteristics: lightish red color, lowish alcohol, aromas and scents of grapefruit, light pepper & incense, & small red berries.
After manually harvesting these small, dark grapes, whole clusters were dropped into fiberglass tanks without any additions whatsoever, at any point. No temperature control means partial carbonic maceration for the first few days. Maceration went on for about 3 months then the wine was bottled without fining or filtering.
After tasting this wine many times and in various vintages, I’m finally writing about it.
Date tasted: Sunday February 26th, 2012 18:30
Appearance: viscous viscous viscous! See photo for color
Nose: grapefruit, incense, pepper, little red berries, forrest floor with some faint reductive hints. Hints of wild strawberries. Hints of cough syrup, the oily kind that leaves a slightly bitter smell and taste. Even looks like cough syrup
Palate: grapefruit, smooth tannins, but more grippy than I remember. Great acidity, but smooth and absolutely drinkable. Red cranberries. Very rustic and again the oily exture like all of his wines. Slighty metallic, which I have not found on any previous bottles. Wild strawberries, but without the sugar. Pomegranate.
There is a certain weight to this wine that I find on all of Robinot’s wine’s. They seem particularly viscous, oily and heavy, but light on their feet at the same time (strange but true). The concentration and structure of this wine, of his wines, are among the best I have tasted in the natural wine world. Texture is a bit like a dessert wine minus the sugar
Monday February 27th, 18:30
Yes, yes I did leave some in the bottle for tonight. Crazy, but I am super happy I did
Appearance: Not much change that I could see, but perhaps a tad darker
Nose: More aromas of incense and pepper. Deeper fruit (still red).
Palate: right when the wine hits the mouth, it’s that oily texture again. Impressive. A salty impact I didn’t get yesterday. Also a depth I didn’t get yesterday. A certain sweet aftertaste I can only compare to sour fruit that ends on a sweet note giving them that perfect balance. medium length and still as refreshing as yesterday. Softer tannins today.
I am reminded of why this has always been one of my favorite wines. it is unique, the texture is magnificent, it’s fresh, and it’s drinkable. I just noticed that nowhere in this tasting note have I mentioned the alcohol, and that is because it so not noticeable that it isn’t even an issue. At 12% you wouldn’t expect it to be, but i have tasted many wines where even low alcohol can put a wine out of balance
Some final words to summarize the wine: structure, concentration, balance, drinkablity.
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It’s been 6 years since the release of this movie and everyone still talks about Pinot Noir. In fact, to most wine connoisseurs, there is no more seductive grape than the Pinot Noir. We knew this before the movie, and we still know it today. I too am a sucker for the great Burgundian Pinot Noir. It’s a grape that can truly seduce with aromas of raspberries, cherries, forest floor and even flowers. The Pinot Noir’s high acidity gives the wine freshness and longevity. When you drink a truly great Pinot Noir, it can make you smile.
This being said folks, it’s time to move on and say “I’m not drinking any fucking Pinot Noir!” It’s time to give other (red) grapes a chance. Other grapes that I often look to to seduce me and make me smile! Even getting me to jump out of my chair! So what grapes am I talking about? Which grapes am I drinking most often these days?? Read ON!!
What about Gamay? Gamay finds it’s home in a few areas (mostly) in France and in the hands of the right grower, can seduce. Clos Roche Blanche in the Loire. Jean-Marc Brignot , Jean Foillard, Clos des Vignes du Maynes & Jean-Paul Brun (to name only a few) in Burgundy. I’m told that Edmunds St. John also makes an interesting Gamay in California, though I have not yet tasted it. The Gamay-based wines are incredibly fresh, dominated by red fruits and hints of spice. Thanks to the low(er) alcohol often found in these wines, their drinkablility is beyond compare!
What about Pinau d’Aunis? Found in the western parts of the Loire Valley, this once noble grape is slowly making a comeback thanks to Domaine Griottes, Clos Roche Blanche (try their Rosé!) & Jean-Pierre Robinot to name a few. With it’s truly seductive (and unmistakable) aromas of pencil lead, grapefruit and incense-like aromas, these incredibly fresh and light wines seduce me every time and this grape is quickly climbing to the top of my favorite (red) grapes list.
What about Schioppettino? Found in the far reaches of Friuli (near the Slovenian border), and until more recently, an unheard of grape for me. Then along came Fulvio Bressan with his “little firecracker”, the Schioppettino. Dominated by black pepper, minerals and black fruit while remaining fresh, this certainly is a grape to put on your top list of grapes to try!
What about Poulsard? Mainly found around the town of Pupillin in the Jura (just east of Burgundy), this thin-skinned red grape produces light colored wines which can be a bit reductive at first. Once open, brilliant, high-acidity and red fruit mark these delicate wines. These wines are a great fit for the local charcuterie & smoked sausage. Try the wines of Jean-Marc Brignot, Tissot and Overnoy to get a good taste for what this red grape can produce!
And let’s not forget the Nerello Mascalese! This Sicilian (Mt.Etna) grape is responsible for making wines like Frank Cornelissen’s Magma and Munjebel Rosso. Aroma’s that fit nicely between the Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo grapes. Aromatic wines with loads of freshness and solid tannins. Certainly not a grape to pass up if you have the opportunity to taste it. Great potential for aging – if you’re into that.
So, it time to starts saying “If anybody orders Pinot Noir, I’m leaving!” and time to start tasting some new grapes! Tell me about your favorite red grape(s)?
]]>- 1. Frank Cornelissen Munjabel Bianco
- 2. Jean-Marc Brignot Rayure
- 3. Camillo Donati Rosso della Bandita
- 4. Laureano Serres Montagut Vinyes Arrencades Blanc 2008 *
- 5. Maison Pierre Overnoy Arbois Pupillin
- 6. Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Raoul
- 7. Camillo Donati Malvasia Secco
- 8. Domaine Griottes P’tite Gâterie
- 9. Jean-Pierre Robinot Concerto d’Oniss
* (I noted the 2008 vintage here because this is the first and only vintage of this wine I have ever tasted.)
Of course I have many more favorites and could have made this list quite long… but these are my favorite 9 for now!
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(I am sorry for the quality of the photo’s in this post. Since I am not a photographer, I should really apologize at the beginning of every post, but the photos in this post are especially low quality – blamed on the settings being incorrect on my “wonderful” camera phone. Oh, and although this post seems long, it’s mostly full of pictures to entertain you)
Tuesday November 3rd, 2009
Our goal was to reach Jean-Pierre Robinot sometime in the afternoon, but when visiting with natural wine makers, it’s really best not to have a schedule! We left Griottes quite late, and it was at least a 2 hour drive to Robinot’s, so we didn’t arrive until around 2200 (10pm) that evening. Nevertheless, we were greeted by the very energetic Jean-Pierre and his wonderful wife Noella. He immediately took us into the cellar where we began to sample his 2009 harvest of Pineau d’Aunis right from the fiberglass containers where they had just finished fermenting. We started with the 2009 
Concerto d’Oniss which was fermented using purchased grapes from farmers (and friends) who have the same values and ideals in the vineyards as he does. This “basic” wine of his will be bottled straight from the fiberglass tank and spend no time in any other container. Wines made from purchased grapes go into bottles labeled under the product line “L’Opera des Vins”. This is one of my favorite of Robinot’s wines due to the clean, precise fruit and no oak influences.
We also tasted the just finished fermenting wine from grapes growing in Jean-Pierre’s own vineyards which will for the most part spend some time in oak before being bottled with labels indicating that the grapes were his own by the product line “Les Vignes de L’Ange Vin (L’Ange Vin for short)”. These were so stunning that I feel confident when I say that the 2009 vintage for Jean-Pierre Robinot will be top!
After a few quick hours in the cellar tasting the new wines, we retreated back to the home of Jean-Pierre and Noella, where Noella started to cook a wonderful home-cooked meal which consisted of vegetables from their “natural garden”. Grown in the same way their grapes are grown, the vegetables are left to grow “wild” without the use of any chemicals nor fertilizers. We started dinner at around 130am, which I must admit was probably the latest dinner I had ever had! Jean-Pierre’s energy never faltering!
The totally natural, totally awesome Robinot vegetable garden
The totally natural, totally awesome Robinot vegetable garden
The totally natural, totally awesome Robinot vegetable garden
The totally natural, totally awesome Robinot vegetable garden
Jean-Pierre’s labels for his wine bottles are reproductions of his full-size paintings which are scattered through-out the Robinot home. It’s obvious that when Jean-Pierre is not hard at work with his vine and wine, he is painting, his other passion. His labels are all different, unique and my opinion, very beautiful.
Jean-Pierre Robinot's label paintings - absoultely beautiful
Jean-Pierre Robinot's label paintings - absoultely beautiful
Jean-Pierre Robinot's label paintings - absoultely beautiful
Jean-Pierre Robinot's label paintings - absoultely beautiful
Jean-Pierre Robinot's label paintings - absoultely beautiful
The next day, we had a quick lunch together as Jean-Pierre hurriedly ate so that he could be off to great a small group of Japanese wine tourists who were looking forward to tasting Robinot’s wonderful wines. It seems that the Japanese really appreciate and understand natural wines. After lunch, Noella took us to see the vineyards, and I have to say, they were truly a sight. Now I have seen many vineyards including biodynamic ones, but these had to be the most natural vineyards I have ever seen. The vineyards that in my opinion were the most stunning, were his old-vine Pineau d’Aunis. These 100 year-old+ vines where growing in a field of weeds, they were covered in moss and ivy and looked absolutely at home there. She mentioned that the vineyards were the laughing-stock of his conventional neighbors, yet produced the greatest grapes in the area by far. When walking through the vineyards, I couldn’t help but notice the way the soil was soft and just gave way under the weight of my body. The soil was very much alive, and the bugs and insect in the area were proof of this. By contrast, when we walked through the vines of the neighboring vineyards, it was like walking on cement. The soil was extremely packed and dead. Not a bug in sight. Soils that have been killed by the use of chemicals take years and years to recover. I am told that even 10 years after converting the agriculture to organics, the soil is still not completely alive.
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
Jean-Pierre Robinot's 100 Year-Old+ Pineau d'Aunis Vineyard
After our vineyard tour, we met with Jean-Pierre in his cellars to taste from the barrels. We tasted at least 40 wines ranging from his top reds, base whites (Chenin Blanc) to some of his sweet wines and even some Vin-Jaune-like wines that had been in barrel for 5 years and more and had developed the wonderful flor that develops in the wines of Jerez and the Jura. Jean-Pierre left us to run off to Paris for the weekend, where we were to meet again on Saturday night for dinner!
We spent two nights at the Robinot’s modest home where were fed only vegetables from their garden and meat from friends who had raised the animals in a natural environment. For their hospitality, I am completely grateful. They were extremely gracious hosts. Simple, yet complex people who truly lived off the land and who enjoyed every moment.
My final thoughts about the wines of Robinot are that his wines are dark, haunting, complex, while maintaining a certain freshness and drinkability which I find too many wines lack. His wines are not easy to understand and are full of mystery, as are the Robinot’s
