Definition: Servagnin

Like Plan Robert, Servagnin is a high-quality selection of Pinot Noir, although ampelography specialists refuse to consider it a true grape variety. However, some winegrowers have chosen to promote a local tradition, and the Servagnin de Morges appellation is now officially recognised, but can only be produced by winegrowers in the region who comply with strict regulations. To discover the origins of Servagnin, we must go back to Marie de Bourgogne, daughter of Philip II, Duke of Burgundy. In 1419, fleeing a plague epidemic, Marie de Bourgogne settled in Saint-Prex. As a token of gratitude for the welcome she received, she gave the winegrowers of Saint-Prex a few plants of her excellent servage, which the Duke of Burgundy preferred to the detestable "gamez". From then on, it was called "salvagnin de Saint-Prex". This ancient selection of Pinot Noir thrived in La Côte, producing complex red wines. However, as it was prone to disease, the winegrowers gradually replaced it with Gamay. In 1949, the last Salvagnin de Saint-Prex vine was sacrificed on land that was turned into a gravel pit. A young Werner Kaiser, who was responsible for uprooting this vine, kept a few vines and planted them in his garden. In 1978, having no particular interest in viticulture, he offered the last remaining vine to a specialist at the Marcelin agricultural college who was researching old Salvagnin vines. This is how this speciality was saved at the last minute. It is now called Servagnin to distinguish it from today's Salvagnin, which is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir.