2011 Chablis Les Pargues

Domaine Servin's 2012s are very strong across the board. The estate's fans can look forward to two wines from recently purchased sites in the 1er Crus Vaucoupin and Mont de Milieu, something you don't see everyday given the scarcity of land in Chablis. In speaking of the domaine's 2012s, estate manager Mark Cameron reported that skins were thick, but the August heat concentrated sugars, lowered acidity and also reduced potential yields. Yields were down about 20% across the board, mostly at the village and 1er Cru level. The domaine's 2011 are less consistent than the 2012s. A number of the wines are diluted, lack depth and are a bit green.

Francois Servin described his 2012 grapes as "a bit like the 2010s in their thick skins and concentrated juice."Alcohol levels were slightly high but pHs were good, and acidity levels were average but a bit better than those of 2011."The 2012s may have more texture than the 2010s," he added, "while the 2010s show more of a tropical fruit character."Servin did not chaptalize his crus in 2012 but did add a bit of sugar in 2011 due to the higher yields in the earlier year.He pointed out that he doesn't have much 41B rootstock, which is typically slower to ripen its fruit, and thus rarely needs to add much sugar. Also recommended:2012 Petit Chablis (85).

Domaine Servin's 2011s show some of the vegetal, green elements that are typical of the vintage. Total acidity is down, yields are on the higher side, and quality in this vintage is uneven across the range. The 2010s are much more consistent. At Servin all of the premier crus are done in steel. The Vieilles Vignes and the Preuses see about 20% oak, while the Bouguerots and Clos are made entirely in oak. Most of the 2011s were in bottle at the time of my visit in late June 2012. The wines that had not been bottled were the Vieilles Vignes, Blanchots, Preuses, Bouguerots and Clos. All of the 2010s were in bottle, except for the Preuses.

This estate harvested on the late side in 2011 (September 5 to 15), bringing in fruit with potential alcohol in the 12.2% to 12.8% range, according to commercial director Marc Cameron.But the vegetative cycle was over by early September, he told me, adding that "many growers had no leaves left on their vines at the end."Servin ultimately made the full permitted yields except in a couple of their grand crus, for the first time since the generous 2004 harvest.Incidentally, cellar improvements here in recent years have enabled the estate to pump their wines more gently and less frequently then previously.I had a clear preference for the 2010s here, although a couple of the grand crus were clearly picked on the late side.