Domaine Servin: a Slice of the Sea in Chablis

I love the mineral intensity of Chablis and the aura of the sea that pervades so many of the wines. But as far as I’ve been able to tell, Domaine Servin puts out some of the most intensely oceanic wines from this storied region. The aromatics and palate are soaked in ocean surf, sea salt, seaweed, crushed shells, jetty rocks. As an obsessive surfer, these elements are so deeply ingrained into my senses that I get stoked as soon as I sniff a Servin. When tasting through the whole lineup, the complexity of ocean-related scents is mind-boggling.

Winemaker Francois Servin has deep Chablis roots. He comes from a long history of Servin winemakers (the last five generations were all named Marcel), and the Servin family’s history in Chablis stretches all the way back to the 1600s. The Domaine holds 35 hectares (about 85 acres) of Chardonnay vines in four Grand Cru vineyards and six Premier Cru vineyards. All the vines, averaging 40-years-old, are planted in the famous Kimmeridgian soil, ancient limestone-rich earth which blesses wines with glorious minerality and brisk oceanic elements. 

When reading about or discussing the best Chablis producers, I don’t hear Domaine Servin thrown around with the likes of Raveneau or Dauvissat, and I think that makes sense. But Servin’s wines are stunning in their purity, length and seem capable of lots of time in the cellar. And when factoring price into the equation, Servin deserves serious attention. 

In the $30-$40 range, Servin Premier Crus are dollar-for-dollar some of my favorite Chardonnays

I tasted through all these wines at my favorite DC shop, Weygandt Wines, during one of their stellar Saturday afternoon grand tastings. If you’re based in the DC Metro area, you should definitely sign up for their email newsletter so you can keep up with delicious and highly educational tastings like this.

My notes...

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis Les Pargues - France, Burgundy, Chablis
$22
Vibrant and bright, green pear and lime along with a salty-floral combo. Crisp and clean and a great intro to Servin’s approach. Solid value. This vineyard is no longer a 1er Cru, but this wine begs to differ. (87 points)

2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Cuvée Massale Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis
$25
Some honey and white peach along with the salty-floral signature. Powerful spine of acid, the green apple and pear fruit is backed up by salty minerals and hints of nuts and oil. For the price, what a beauty. (88 points)

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
$33
So oceanic on the nose, floral, lime, iodine. Salty and oceanic on the palate, just a lovely verve to the wine, tons of minerals. Not at all a rich wine, but it’s more than just a lean and bracing wine, the weight is wonderfully balanced. A beauty, but so intense and young. (91 points)

Soil full of limesoney goodness is key in the best
Chablis, imparting loads of minerality and oceanic flavors.
Image from Domaine Servin.

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
$33
Intense seashell aromas, yellow flowers, some more orange notes mixed in with the limes. Crisp and bright, racing with minerals. A bit more weight than the Forets, but still gorgeously crisp. A gorgeous young Chablis. (92 points)

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaucoupins - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
$35
In addition to the lime and sea brine, I get some interesting orange blossom, lively minerals and chalk. Crisp and bright, so mineral-driven, but full of honeysuckle and chalk. I’m really digging the oceanic vibe and intensity of this wine. (92 points)

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
$36
Greener fruit on the nose, lots of sea salt, even some seaweed and salt-crusted surfboard aromas. Tangy and briny on the palate, the chalk and minerals are gorgeous and complex, needing a few years to unwind. Lime, green pears, finishes long with oyster shell and wetsuit notes. (91 points)

2013 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
$37
Peachy goodness on the nose, airy and salty of course, more flint and chalk. Richer than the others, relatively speaking, still intensely oceanic and salty. Green pears, limes mix with hints of white peach and honeysuckle. Beautiful stuff, so long, delicious and thought-provoking. (93 points)

2011 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$65
Even brinier than the others, this is also super floral and full of stones, hints of herbs. Clean, zesty, deeply mineral-driven, so nervy and tart. Pears and green apples, laced through with chalk and minerals. Wow, I’d love to taste this again in four or five years. (93 points)

2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$70
Bright and floral, elements of candied orange accent the stones, minerals and oceanic aromas. Ripe and showing some honey on the palate, but also tremendously dry, bright, clean and refreshing. Hints of white pepper and chalk linger. Lacking a bit of roundness and depth of the 2013, but the cellar will have a few things to say about this wine. (91 points)

2011 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Bougros - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$65
Lots of elegance and finesse in this wine. Chalky, oceanic, floral, seaweed aromas. Creamy, hints of toast, but lively acid, stones, minerals, sea salt, mixed nuts. So complex. (93 points)

2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Bougros - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$70
More floral in approach, oranges, chalk, sea salt aromas. Ripe and open but lively acid and lots of ocean spray and minerals. Interesting candied orange, white tea, hints of honey. Long life ahead. (92 points)

2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$65
So elegant yet intense at the same time, a bit tightly-wound though. Slate, chalk, lime, orange peel aromas. Nervy, bright, clean, salty, with crushed rocks, copious minerals. Striking freshness and youth, but full of cellar potential. (92 points)

2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
$75
Aromatic bliss: seashells, seaweed and jetty rocks mixed with lime and lemon curd. Great concentration on the palate but the acid is pure and intense. I love the weight and mouthfeel and the excellent balance with the acid. And the flavors: lemons, limes, crushed rocks, yellow flowers, hints of honey. A beautiful wine with a long future. (93+ points)