Domaine Servin Mont de Milieu 2023 750ml

Product Info

91-93pts Vinous Media
The 2023 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru is matured in used barrels. It has a well-defined bouquet with a little more bite and nervosité compared to the Montée de Tonnerre. The palate is well balanced with a crisp line of acidity. The sapid finish lingers in the mouth. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040

Australian winemaker Marc Cameron greeted me at Domaine Servin. Before we set about tasting, he told me that the deluge earlier this year had caused their cellars to flood. Fortunately, there was not too much damage. “It was one of our longest harvests,” he told me as we broached their 2023s. “It lasted 17 days. This was partly due to flowering. We started on September 8. We also had to dodge the heat on some days. It is hard to compare 2023 with another vintage. Some cuvées are average in alcohol, and others higher. Some acidity levels are good, and others are a bit lower. The yield was between 65 to 85hl/ha.” - By Neal Martin on June 2024

Terroir
The Mont de Milieu vineyard lies in the heart of the right-bank slopes of the Serein Valley in Chablis, and is recognised for producing some of the region’s more generous yet still classically mineral-driven 1er Cru wines. The soils are the hallmark Kimmeridgian marls and limestones intermixed with fossilised shell fragments and clay (marnes & calcaires argileux) that lend the wines their signature brine-stone backbone. With vines of mature age and parcels managed by the family-owned Domaine Servin, the site benefits from the steep slope, excellent sun exposure and a micro-climate that allows the Chardonnay to ripen fully while maintaining freshness and purity.

Winemaking & Technical Notes
In 2023, the vintage at Domaine Servin is described as “beyond expectations,” with healthy grapes, full maturity and balanced freshness in the face of challenging weather earlier in the season. For Mont de Milieu, the small parcel size (often referenced as 0.34 ha for this bottling) ensures high concentration. The winery has elected to age the 2023 vintage partly (or wholly) in used barrels or larger wooden formats, rather than completely stainless steel as earlier years, in order to give texture and richness while retaining crisp minerality. Yields were kept modest, and sorting was rigorous to secure only the highest quality juice.

Tasting Notes
Pouring this Mont de Milieu 2023 reveals a pale straw-gold colour with subtle green highlights. On the nose, there is a fragrant blend of white-peach, pear skin and lemon zest alongside white-flower blossom (acacia/honeysuckle) and a distinctly stony/sea-air mineral note that signals its Chablis character. On the palate the wine shows excellent depth: orchard fruits (white peach, crisp pear) lead into a mid-palate of citrus pith and chalky gravel minerality. The acidity is lively and beautifully pitched, giving tension, while the texture is a little broader than some of the leaner Chablis thanks to the site and maturation choice. The finish lingers with saline echoes, a touch of baked lemon rind, and a subtly honeyed tone that underscores richness without excess. This is a 1er Cru with both immediate appeal and enough structure to reward short-to-medium term cellaring.

Food Pairing & Service
For optimal enjoyment, serve this wine at about 10–11 °C (50-52 °F) in a white-wine glass with moderate width — avoid the narrow flute to allow aromatics to open. Given its precision and minerality, the wine is an elegant match for oysters on the half shell, steamed razor clams with parsley-lemon butter, or pan-seared sea bass in a beurre blanc sauce. It will also shine alongside richer dishes such as roast chicken with lemon-thyme jus, sole meunière, or a creamy risotto with wild mushrooms. For cheese, consider something like a young Comté or mild chèvre—something with gentle richness that won’t overwhelm the wine’s clarity. Although drinkable now, the viscous mid-palate and minerally spine suggest it will evolve gracefully over the next 5-8 years under good cellaring.