Marcel Servin

CHABLIS – Francois Servin was the first person I called to start my import business in 1999. I asked him if I could import his wines into the US. He said I needed to talk to his agent in Paris. I told him that was not of interest and that I didn’t want to work through agents.

He then shared that he manages 2 different estates. One is the Domaine Servin whose wines are exported to 16 countries around the world, including the aforementioned US agent. The second estate is his personal estate whose wines are marketed under his deceased father’s name, MARCEL SERVIN. He drinks these wines personally and shares them with friends in Chablis. These private wines have a tiny production, and Francois offered me half of it. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to have exclusive access to his personal wines.

The Servin family can trace its roots making wine in Chablis back to the 1500s. Wow! Since Francois’ dad died young, he learned to make wine from his grandfather using old-world traditions. Since the Domaine Servin provides all of the business’s cash flow and supports his family, there is no hurry to release Francois’ personal “Marcel Servin” wines. They usually stay on their lees for a longer time, often until the next harvest. This added lees time gives his Marcel Servin wines more roundness and richness that most Chablis wines don’t have.

Francois feels that the winemaker is more important than the barrel maker or technology. He says that making wine is an art, whereas so many people reduce it to a science. His generational know-how combined with the benefits of modern technology, help him make fabulous wines. In fact, he is recognized as one of the TOP FEW winemakers out of 120 in all of Chablis.

In short, Francois Servin makes quality Chardonnay year in and year out. They are made in the traditional Chablis style (full and rich with good minerality) that Francois learned from his grandfather. These memorable wines are surprising and absolutely delicious.