Tasted in Chablis with Mark Cameron and François Servin (pictured), 10 January 2023.
Domaine Servin
20 Avenue d’Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 90 00
More reports with Domaine Servin
Mark on 2022:
“We’re both happy and even a little surprised as it was, technically, a drought year but we still had juice – that’s a nice surprise! I thought it might be a year like 2010 where we kept pressing but there wasn’t much juice. We did lose some grapes to frost in Vaucoupin but that was practically the only significant place. Easy ferments – no dramas”
Mark on 2021:
“Here, it’s not a 1/3rd of a normal vintage volume. Our idea is to wait as long as possible before bottling – most of the Chablis is not yet bottled. It was one of those vintages that didn’t make sense as some places were perfect, others needed some sugar, other places needed some acidity – but the fermentations went to dry whereas in 2019-2020 we often saw a remaining gram of sugar when the ferments stopped. Some of the Chablis was 20% of a normal harvest, PC there was none but some of the GCs were not bad – Mont de Milieu surpassed everything with 52 hl/ha! Last year, mid-year, these were not friendly wines…”
The wines…
Lovely, very Chablis wines. This year the great wines, for their labels, are reserved to the very end!
DIAM is used for the PC, all the rest are cork but half of the Chablis is also sealed with screw-cap:
2021 Chablis
A blend of many hectares – 12 – 90% from Pargues around Prehy in this cuvée. Always multiple bottlings, this with a screw-cap seal.
Good depth and a bit of lime citrus – overlaid with a small floral extra. There’s a hint of tannin at the base here but an open, easy, quite concentrated wine. Fine finishing…
2021 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 more open top note – more floral – this is a very attractive nose. Larger scale in the mouth. A bit of tannic texture again. The finish – wide and attractive – a really easy, delicious finish…
2021 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
The massale from inside Pargues – all elevage in old oak – as old as 20-years-old.
The nose has an accent of the barrel but not forcefully so. A little more direct, cool and even focused. That’s a serious, excellent wine!
Cork for all the following:
2021 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.
The nose has a bit of width about it. Mineral, clean, a note that’s a little harsh, slightly reductive, in the middle today.
2021 Chablis 1er Vaillons
‘Definitely the most improved 1er over the last years.’
All tank elevage again – a tank sample. A little reduction again but no problem. Hmm – that’s an impressive mouthful of wine – it’s super finshing – this will be excellent!
2021 Chablis 1er Butteaux
All (old & large-format) barrel elevage. Such tiny grapes here
Hmm, not a wide nose but one of complexity for sure. Extra complexity and fine energy in the mouth – not a forceful wine but one with lovely energetic complexity – maybe a bit of greenery in this complexity. But yum!
2021 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
A more concentrated nose – less width. Hmm, there’s a concentration yet easy to this clean, intense wine – this is a bit better than the previous wines (my taste) – broader and more complete finishing. Simply excellent!
2021 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
48-year-old vines, also coming with the Vaucoupins purchase. Hand-harvested…
This nose is more airy and very attractive – a little ripe, almost orange flesh. Mouth-filling – super shape here. Much complexity – a subtle hint of green too. Slowly fading into the distance. That’s a lovely wine…
2021 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Lots of aromatic volume, suggesting some gas. Yes, some gas. But here’s a very fine and open-shaped wine – nice structure and lovely clarity. The base of this flavour is mineral and exciting. Simply excellent.
2021 Chablis Blanchots
All tank for this…
Not a large nose but here’s a purity of aroma, with a hint of florals and clean citrus complexity. Stature – volume but properly structured – this is an excellent wine – and with such a punchy, long finish too.
2021 Chablis Les Preuses
30% old oak fermentations and elevage. 65-year-old vines.
Fresh, sleek, direct if narrow aromatics today. Larger scaled in the mouth – super-mineral in style. That’s very impressive. Equally impressive finishing too. Again a simply excellent wine…
All oak – 228s – a little younger oak.
A broader, more vibrant more saline nose – not really about barrels. Tons of energy, lovely architecture to this wine – I love the clarity – this is probably going to be a great one!
Hmm – a little extra warmth but there’s nothing elsehere to express the barrels. Framed with a small zesty rasp of citrus bitters (phenolics) that holds onto the flavour just so long – this is going to be a very impressive, potentially great wine again.
For the road:
2018 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
‘Almost problematically the 18s are 4 years old but they taste like they are 1 year old!’
Only a slight development but the core is still vibrant and mineral in style. Large, round, still some citrus-bitters texture, quite generous (‘from our least generous 1er cru!’). That’s tasty.