Château Gilette - Sauternes Crème de Tête 1989

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Bright golden yellow, with a beautiful, delicate aroma of roasted notes, refined oak, and plenty of freshness; well-balanced between richness and elegance, with the approachability of a vintage that has now reached its peak, smooth and without excessive sweetness. A truly lovely bottle.

About the estate:

Château Gilette has been in the Médeville family since the 18th century. René Médeville, the grandfather of Julie Gonet-Médeville, the current manager of the château, developed a unique, sweet wine in the 1930s that was aged for 15 to 20 years in concrete tanks. Since then, this process has been repeated only in exceptional vintages. Only the finest portion—the “crème de tête”—is reserved for the grand vin; the rest is sold in bulk. The vineyard comprises 4.5 hectares dedicated to Château Gilette, including a plot that gave the château its name. This year, Julie Gonet-Médeville is releasing the 1996 vintage, which follows in the footsteps of its illustrious predecessors.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity, with notes of beeswax, aged patina, and roasted apricot. On the palate, it offers a very smooth, easy-drinking liqueur with fabulous balance, refined by aging.

About the estate:

Gilette is a small 4.5-hectare vineyard (more than 80% of which is planted with Sémillon) owned by the Médeville family and currently managed by Julie Gonet-Médeville. Somewhat unconventional in an era where everything must move fast and be immediately profitable, Gilette releases its wines— between 3,000 and 6,000 bottles per vintage, at most—only after a long aging period of 20 years in vats. This has earned it the nickname "the antique dealer of Sauternes." It was the 1989 vintage that was sent to us this year for tasting.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

I love the aromas of the 1989 Château Gilette Crème de Tête. The nose is initially reserved but then readily unfolds with notes of anise, beeswax, smoke, and lychee. The palate offers a spicy attack, in an almost Alsatian style, with notes of honey, curry powder, and cumin. The finish is dry, even though we know there is about 110g of residual sugar. It has great potential, although personally, I would say it still needs at least 5 to 6 more years in the bottle.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 1989 vintage stands out for its beautiful richness on the palate, while retaining the balance that distinguishes the great Gilettes. It is just beginning to reveal the notes that signal this vintage’s unique character: crème brûlée, candied fruit, citrus zest...

About the estate:

This tiny Preignac estate, now run by Julie Médeville and her husband Xavier Gonet, is famous for selling only very old vintages—aged for a long time in concrete tanks (away from the air) and then in bottles—and sourced from exceptionally rich harvests (hence the designation “crème de tête”). Gilette’s characteristic bouquet is undoubtedly the fruitiest in the Sauternes region, with notes of citrus marmalade (bitter orange), enhanced by the delicate rancio developed through aging and extended maturation. The preservation method prioritizes reduction without oxidation, which explains the wines’ surprising youthfulness, even more than thirty years after their creation. It is strongly recommended to decant them several hours before serving.

Wine Spectator