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| Community Tasting Notes (average 97 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 3 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by cakie on 6/5/2015 & rated 100 points: Drank with apricot soufflé as part of very good lunch so maybe slightly biased but the wine is sensational, it's not cloying as some sweet wines can be, very pure crystal clean flavour. The best Sauternes I've had, including the few y'quem I've had (not that many in fairness!) and for that matter the best pudding wine I've had, I couldn't fault the wine, flawless. Would equally go with fois gras and rich pate. I'll be adding to my cellar if I can find any at a sensible price. I believe the current release is 1990, it's obviously a labour of love. (2209 views) | | | Tasted by igaf on 9/18/2012: Bright golden. Beautifully mellow nose, tenderly honeyed, with orange and lemon, good complexity. Extremely soft and smooth, dense and very nicely balanced, complex. Orange rind, dried apricots, a little spices. Extremely long aftertaste of spiced candied oranges. A really noble wine. (2906 views) | | | Tasted by DonWinspear on 12/24/2011 & rated 94 points: Gorgeous. Burnt caramel, creme brulee, apricot, dark honey. Some of the tar/asphault that earlier Gilettes can show have disippated leaving a sauterne that rivals d'yQ. Not quite the complexity, but an overall experience that it sublime. (3023 views) |
| Château Gilette Producer website
- Read about Chateau Gilette
Chateau Gilette History, Overview
The story and creation of Chateau Gilette dates back to 1710, when two, well-known Sauternes families got together through marriage. The Numa Medeville family married family Marie Despujols, the daughter of another famous family in the region, Lamothe Despujols. The couple was given the estate as a wedding gift from Lamothe Despujols. they received vineyards, Chateau Gilette and Chateau Les Justices.
The estate has remained in the hands of the Medevile family for generations. Chateau Gilette is perhaps the most unique Bordeaux wine produced in the Sauternes appellation.
The wines of Chateau Gilette are released on average, between 20 and 25 years after the vintage! The wine remains in tank for close for almost 20 years before it’s even bottled! At that point, Chateau Gilette ages the bottled Sauternes wine for an additional 3-5 years! This was not always how the wine of Chateau Gilette was made.
Prior to World War 2, they made wine like every other property in the region. When the war was over, Rene Medeville found they still had wine in their tanks that was left over from the 1930’s. Rene Medeville likes the results so much, he was inspired to continue allowing the wine to age for extended periods in cement vats.
Chateau Gilette Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 4.5 hectare Sauternes vineyard of Chateau Gilette is planted to 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. located in the commune of Preignac. The walled in vineyard has a terroir of gravel, sand, rock, limestone and clay based soils.
To produce the wine of Chateau Gilette, the wine is fermented and stored in small, cement tanks that range in size from 20 hectoliters up to 40 hectoliters. The wine of Chateau Gilette does not see any new or used oak during its extremely long aging period.
The aging can take up to 25 years before the wine is released. This is unique to Bordeaux and to most of the wine producing world. It was the unique idea of Rene Medevile to begin this unique aging process for his wines.
The long aging in cement vats has not always been how the wines of Chateau Gilette were produced. In fact, at first, it was not a choice, it happened by accident when the owner of Chateau Gilette, Rene Medeville joined the army during World War 2.
When he left for the war, he told his family not to touch the wine and to leave it resting in the cement vats. He would take care of the wine when he returned. The family liked the results so much, they simply continued their unique, extended, long aging process.
Chateau Gilette is only made in select vintages. Currently, Chateau Gilette is managed by Julie Gonet-Medeville and her husband Xavier Gonet. Xavier Gonet is also known for Gonet Champagne. The family also own Chateau Les Justices in Sauternes as well as other Bordeaux properties.
The best vintages of Chateau Gilette are: 2017, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1983, 1976, 1975, 1971, 1967 and 1959.
It is interesting to note that Chateau Gilette has declassified more vintages than any other estate in Sauternes. As the estate only makes wine in the best vintages, no wine was produced in 2012, 2008, 2004, 1998, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1987, 1984, 1980, 1977, 1974, 1973 and 1972. It is amazing to consider they have declassified more vintages than Chateau d’Yquem!
Chateau Gilette at its best is filled with tropical, honey drenched fruit and spices. But the wine lacks vanilla, coconut or custard scents, as well as some of the fatness found in many Sauternes, as it was not aged in French oak barrels.
Depending on the vintage, this Bordeaux wine gains complexities with additional bottle age, which is amazing, considering it’s already close to 25 years old by the time it’s released! However, in some vintages, the fruit drops with age and it’s not as much fun to drink with time.
When to Drink Chateau Gilette, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Gilette can be enjoyed on the young side with no decanting. In fact, it is delicious and quite a treat young, even on release! However, like all great wines, Chateau Gilette is much better with age. However, due to the fact that the wine was aged in tank for over 20 years, Chateau Gilette is mature on release. However the wine can still improve in bottle for at least another 12-30 after the wine is released!
Of course the wine is sweet, but there is so much, incredible, racy acidity, the wine always feels fresh, and never cloying, which makes it quite fun to enjoy young. With Chateau Guiraud and frankly, all Sauternes, temperature is more important than decanting.
Serving Chateau Gilette with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Gilette is best served at 14 degrees Celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
The wine will naturally warm in the glass, while it develops more aromatic complexities and fleshes out. Chateau Gilette can be served with seafood dishes, especially shellfish, lobster, crab and oysters on the half shell. Foie gras is a perfect pairing with its natural sweet, salty and savory characteristics.
Chateau Gilette can also be paired with roasted chicken, veal and pork dishes that are either spicy, or prepared with a touch of sweetness. Spicy Asian cuisine, raw fish, like sushi or sashimi, and cheese, both hard and soft also make great pairings with Chateau Gilette.
https://winespecific.com/2022/06/30/the-unique-style-of-chateau-gilette-sauternes/
The Unique Style of Château Gilette Sauternes Posted on June 30, 2022
“In the crisis of 1928, René Médeville had difficulty in selling the wine so he just kept it instead of selling it at a low price. Eventually he couldn’t bottle it until after the second world war,” Xavier Gonet says, as he explains the origins of Château Gilette’s unique production of Sauternes. “If you find an old bottle of Gilette – before the 1930s – it will have been made ‘the normal way,’ Xavier adds. His wife Julie, who is René’s granddaughter, took over Château Gilette in 2004 from her father, Christian.
“Gilette is a special type of wine,” Xavier says, “it never sees any oak. “We harvest by picking only botrytized berries – we wait a lot and usually I’m one of the last to pick. We try to pick late and have as few tries as possible”. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine goes into 12 small concrete tanks for 18-20 years. It’s completely racked off to fill the tank—there are no lees. “Most people make a link between oxidation and aging, but the vats are completely filled so there is no oxidation. What happens in the vat is just like the difference between keeping wine in a magnum or bottle—the big vats are fruitier. When we bottle, we bottle the complete vintage.”
There used to be different levels of Gilette — dry, demi-sec, demi-doux, doux, and crême de tête. G was the dry wine but made in only three vintages, 1954, 1956, 1958. (This gave the idea to Bernard Lur Saluces to produce the dry Ygrec at Château d’Yquem.) The last vintage of the other cuvées was 1962. “Because we now produce only Crême de Tête, we don’t produce every year. It’s usually made 5 years each decade. At 10 hl/ha we get 6,000 bottles. Basically we try to sell up to 3,000 bottles per year. Some years we don’t pick at all.”
“What you get with Gilette is the intensity of old vines, the volume, but the freshness of aromas. There is absolutely no oak in any of our Sauternes, Oak is not our style. (We think that) with oak you lose a little bit the purity and freshness in the wine. It begins a second life in bottle. Twenty years after bottling, the wines begin to express perfectly.” When we start the tasting, Xavier says, “All the wines will change in the tasting because they have never been in contact with air at all. Because this is an extreme reductive situation, they need a lot of oxygen.”
France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanSauternes Le Grand Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac 1855 (Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac) - Read more about Sauternes, Barsac and its wines
– Read more about the 1855 Sauternes Barsac Classification
Forty kilometres south of Bordeaux, Sauternes is an AOC that includes together 5 communes, including Barsac. For centuries, humans have been patiently learning to master this region's climate, soils and grape varieties. But Mother Nature did a good job laying the foundation. The Sauternes terroir is distinguished by a geological predisposition to gravel and pebbles that cover limestone streaked with veins of clay. In the communes of Fargues and Sauternes, a layer of hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand) in which vines flourish can be found. The vineyards at the highest elevations and farthest from the river have the best terroirs and produce the majority of the Crus Classés, including the monumental Château Yquem.Sauternes wines are made from Sémillon (80% of vines planted) and Sauvignon (15%) grapes. A bit of Muscadelle occasionally is used to give the wines an untamed touch. Sauternes have an "aged gold" colour that is denser and darker than other dessert wines. When they age, they develop a stunning amber colour. The nose has aromas of flowers and fruit that melt together to create a bouquet of remarkable complexity and balance. The primary aromas include almond, quince, mango, pineapple, stewed peach, dried apricot and passion fruit. There are also floral notes, with touches of linden, acacia, mimosa and honeysuckle. And as is typical with Sémillon, there are also notes of beeswax, almond and hazelnut. In the mouth, Sauternes wines have a powerful style that is viscous but extremely elegant. Its strong sweetness is captivating. Finally, its aromatic finish is something that simply must be experienced.
2013 Vintage Notes:
"the extractive ratios in th[is] year are in the phenomenal range and there's ripeness/botrytis to cover two treks around the globe [...] so appealing is the immediacy of the wines. Many can be enjoyed now for their sheer joy and delicious nature. [Some] should also age" - Jon Rimmerman
2014 Vintage Notes:
"a golden vintage for Sauternes. It may not have the depth or weight of 2010, but it has some of the richness. What has set 2014 apart is the intense lime and lemon flavors that cut into any overblown cloying character and allow both the fruit and the honeyed noble rot to sing." - Wine Enthusiast |
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