Tasted in Chablis with Mark Cameron and François Servin (pictured), 07 January 2022.

Domaine Servin
20 Avenue d’Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 90 00
More reports with Domaine Servin

Mark on 2021:
“It’s about 1/3rd of a normal vintage – decent in all the protected areas but the bulk isn’t protected. We’ve got a lot of older massale vines and I think they do pretty well in the heat but I think less so against a strong frost. In 2016 we were pretty hard hit too – but that was also with hail. It’s the last of the 2018s that we still have that are going to tide us over to – hopefully, a decent volume in 2022. It was scary after the frost we were all waiting for the second buds – but where were they? They came but the indicators took a couple of weeks, so that added wait-time for the harvest. Quality will be up and down – some went early as they worried that the disease might take over – fully understandable…”

Mark on 2020:
“I’m extremely happy with the vintage. I think it promised more than it delivered if you think about quantities – but we did get a bit of rain before the harvest which helped. I think it more Chablis-like than 2019 despite the summer having a similar temperature profile. We had a lot of grapes but less juice per grape. I find the wines a bit more Chablis in style with more flinty, mineral and saline expressions. It just tastes like Chablis and we are closer to 12.5-13° than 13.5++° that we had in 2019.”

The wines…

A strong year chez Servin with a number of wines that I would search out for myself!

DIAM is used for the PC, all the rest are cork but half of the Chablis is also sealed with screw-cap:

2020 Petit Chablis
‘One of our smallest vineyards at 0.61 ha in Sur les Clos, 28-year-old vines – made like the Chablis or a 1er cru.’ The only DIAM-sealed wine – sold out in 3 months normally.
A faint green note – suggesting a little pyrazine – but white flower perfume too. Yes, that’s wide, almost lush and beautifully shaped but there’s a little green here – that said, at this level I find the effect very attractive – delicious wine…

2020 Chablis
A blend of many hectares – 12 – 90% from Pargues around Prehy in this cuvée. Multiple bottlings, this with a screw-cap seal.
Ooh – that’s more attractively perfumed wine – lovely. Wide, mouth-filling – beautiful energy – mobile almost fluid in style. That’s a very excellent Chablis.

2020 Chablis Les Pargues Vieilles-Vignes
3 ha of massale selected vines in the middle of Pargues. 30% in old oak the rest in tank. This with screw-cap…
A different aromatic here – higher-toned – more direct and less overtly perfumed today. Extra direction and with perfume-infused energetic flavour almost vibrant. Great finishing! Excellent wine again but quite different in style.

2020 Chablis Massale
Not bottled, this direct from barrel – up to 20-year-old barrels.
A calmer, deeper nose. Fuller – more mouth-filling – I love the shape of this – some green-citrus here – as opposed to ‘green.’ Melting, mouth-watering – some citrus-skin bitters with a faint phenolic texture. That’s lovely – suggesting a faint reduction. A wine to wait 2-3 years for…

Cork for all the following:

2020 Chablis 1er Forêts
0.37 ha – 25 yo vines – one of the younger, planted at almost 10k density – the older Chablis plantations were 5.6 k – all tank elevage – not yet bottled.
A higher-toned nose – lots of energy – lacking a bit of appeal at this stage. Beautiful clarity and mobile shape though – I find that flavour profile a lot more interesting than the nose today – in fact, it’s really lovely here.

2020 Chablis 1er Vaillons
‘Definitely the most improved 1er over the last years.’
A more vibrant width of aroma. Mouth-filling, energetic a surprisingly attractive lick of green. This is a a very lovely wine.

2020 Chablis 1er Butteaux
All (old) barrel elevage. 23 hl/ha – such tiny grapes here this and last year – there were, in theory enough…
Less energetic but this has a very attractive and inviting style – ‘drink me’ it says. Large-scale – a little more overt density after the Vaillons. Depth and fine texture – concentrated flavour but importantly, also delicious flavour. Would I like a bit more energy – yes – would I still buy it – yes. Simply an excellent wine – only a hint of oak in the finishing notes.

2020 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
48-year-old vines, also coming with the Vaucoupins purchase. Hand-harvested…
The faintest touch of pyrazine but attractive at this level – a little chalky too – nice. Less overt in the mouth, lots of mouth-watering energy. Long and tasty fishing – keep it a while…

2020 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Hmm – no green just a lovely salinity – very, very Chablis! Vibrant, mouth-watering. Very open, delicious flavour – long. Smaller finishing. Simply excellent and just a bit more finishing energy away from being great wine today.

2020 Chablis Blanchots
All tank for this…
Hmm – that’s beautifully perfumed wine – no lack of weight here – maybe a lack of salinity but who cares with this perfume! Mobile, easy over the palate – a certain richness to this flavour but never lacking energy. Long finishing if slightly simple – but it’s a baby – I can forgive that. It could be excellent – just have a little patience.

2020 Chablis Les Clos
This nose is more timid – but there’s still a very attractive white flower accent here. Extra fresh and direct – really a bundle of energy – more overtly mineral today too. Cool and impressive fruit, finishing with a nice lick of finishing phenolic texture. Actually, that’s a great finish – simply excellent wine that will probably improve too…

For the road, something blind:

I guess grand cru with about 20-25 years of age – it’s Preuses 2002…
Deeper gold. That’s a direct nose, faintly of lanolin and creamy white chocolate. Yes! Direct but melting, still faintly tannic. A nose that fans wider than you can hope. You need to like old wines but this is great! My guess might not have been so good if I hadn’t finished a glass of 02 Fourchaume the night before 🙂