Producer Article
Château Gilette
Last edited on 3/31/2023 by LindsayM
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- 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.”
- 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.”