Château Gilette - Sauternes Crème de Tête 1990

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

We had recklessly given it a 20 based on a sublime bottle. The one we tasted this year under different circumstances is nearly as impressive, so we’ll be petty enough to deduct half a point from perfection… for the “nearly” part…

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 isn’t very open, but it offers many nuances. With aeration, notes of wax, honey, candied lemon, and subtle spices emerge. On the palate, bergamot and orange come through, along with hints of praline. The wine is well-integrated and coats the palate. The finish is full-bodied and velvety, with exceptional length. Currently still somewhat closed, this bottle will need a few more years to allow its aromas to fully develop.

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:

The 1990 Château Gilette Crème de Tête is the Medeville family’s latest vintage. It boasts a bouquet of mint and dried white flowers, but it is still somewhat reserved at the moment; the aromas need more time in the bottle to fully unfold. The palate is fresh on the attack with subtle notes of nougat, quince, walnuts, almonds, and fennel. Having since tasted much older Gilettes, I realize just how young this one still is, and it will benefit from another ten years in the bottle.

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

About the wine:

Aromas of verbena, linden blossom, and dried apricot. It features notes of dried fruit alongside elegant, noble vegetal tones. The wine has not yet reached the stage of rancio, as it retains a great deal of freshness in its complex and nuanced aromas. Delicious on the palate with a magnificent balance of body, all with beautiful intensity.

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.