2015 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru

Domaine Servin will not offer a 2016 Chablis Vieilles Vignes Sélection Massale as virtually all of this fruit was lost to hail, along with 95% of their fruit in Les Pargues. But grand cru yields were “almost normal,” according to commercial director Marc Cameron. Mildew also affected some of the estate's grapes, which dried up and fell off the vines, especially as the weather turned drier and warmer in July. “The late weather saved what was left,” said Cameron. “If you got through June, you made it.” Domaine Servin started harvesting on September 26 and picked in five days; just a few of the wines were chaptalized—and even then several of the 2016s finished at a moderate 12.7% alcohol. “There wasn’t a big problem with botrytis,” Cameron explained. “We were able to pick so quickly because quantities were down 70%. Luckily, 2015 had been a nice average harvest in terms of quantity. In fact, we’re still trying to hold back some wine, but everyone wants Chablis. We're not looking for new customers today.”

Cameron noted that it’s hard to compare 2016 to an earlier year, but added that nowadays there are no typical vintages for Chablis. “The ‘16s are missing a bit of body and weight for serious longevity,” he offered. “They’re not especially rich wines but they have a glyceral, silky mouthfeel.” Acidity level finished at 4 grams per liter or a bit less.

Owner/winemaker François Servin, who is trying to push back the bottling dates of his grand crus, is a fan of the 2015s, noting that “the Montée de Tonnerre was the only vineyard we had to rush to pick. We actually picked the Clos and the other grand crus at the end, at least a week later.” When I asked Servin for his predictions on the likely longevity of this crop of wines, he responded that “it’s a bit scary how well they’re tasting now; they’re real crowd-pleasers. And you don’t have to go to the grand cru level to get great, outstanding wines in 2015; there are a lot of terrific premier crus. You really have to get everything right, including using the appropriate glassware and opening your bottles at the right age, for the grand crus to justify their price premiums. But premier crus can knock people out. And they age almost as well as the grand crus.”

This estate picked its hail-affected vines in Clos, Blanchots and Montée de Tonnerre first, beginning on September 4. According to commercial director Marc Cameron, the rain that accompanied the hail speeded up the ripening process and actually saved the harvest. The grapes swelled, he said, but thanks to their thick skins, the flavors remained clean. Total acidity levels in the post-malo ‘15s average about 4 grams per liter, with some pHs as low as 3.1, he went on, adding that alcohol levels are between 12.5% and 13%, with some wines lightly chaptalized. Cameron told me that the vintage reminds him of 2006 (“they have similar numbers”) and that the 2015s are more generous and open than the 2014s, which have more acidity, structure and soil character. “The 2015s will be easier to drink earlier,” he noted.

For his part, proprietor/winemaker François Servin is happy to have what he described as “some deeper Chablis; 2015 is a good blend between classic Burgundy and the new style. Two thousand fifteen is similar to 2005 and 2009; some 2005s are a bit heavy now but others are fine. Our 2015s really need a long élevage; so far, they’ve been gaining in freshness.” Servin described 2014 as “a great vintage for aging but not like 2010, which is the ultimate long-aging vintage due to the small berries and higher ration of skin to juice. The 2010s haven’t yet moved,” he added. Cameron told me that his first impression of 2014 was that it was a very saline, minerally vintage, like the years prior to 1995. “The ‘14s have green acidity, structure and soil character,” he said, “but some people picked too early in ’14 after their experience with the ‘13s.”