Chateau Gilette Sauternes, 1999

ISELOOMUSTUS

It has been a legend since the 1930s, when René Médeville had the genius to make a wine with a long shelf life (fifteen to twenty years) with a wine extracted from a very rich harvest. Situated in the heart of the village of Preignac, this tiny terroir of vines (4.5 hectares) is surrounded by the village walls and has been pampered by the Médeville family since the 18th century. René’s ancestor, Numa Médeville received the lieu-dit Gilette in Preignac when he married Marie Despujols and has been the pride of the family ever since. René developed the technique of long conservation in concrete vats (without contact with the outside). His son, Christian, from 1959, will improve it so that each bottle becomes a real little jewel. Christian’s nickname will be “the antique dealer of Sauternes”. His daughter, Julie Gonet-Médeville, took over the torch of this noble wine, as well as the two other properties of the house: Château Les Justices and Château Respide-Médeville.

The soil in the vineyard of Château Gilette is very draining and is made up of a layer of sand and gravel, on top of limestone blocks. It has been organically enriched since the beginning and most of the plants are more than forty years old. The main grape variety (90%) is Semillon, with the rest Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.

The botrytisation taking place at Château Gilette is due to three factors: the specific terroir of the commune of Preignac, the cold presence of the small tributary of the Garonne, the Ciron, whose morning mists allow the colonisation of the bunches by botrytis cinerea and finally, a sunny and windy climate which allows the grapes to dry out and concentrate the juice in sugar. As the fungus has created micro lesions on the skin, the grapes will see the water they contain evaporate in case of summer heat. We then speak of “roasted grapes”. Château Gilette only produces its “Crème de tête” wine one year out of two, so demanding are the criteria. Indeed, after a meticulous harvest of each grape, 3 to 8 sorting are then carried out. After extraction of the juice, fermentation takes place for a few months. This is followed by a long period of fifteen to eighteen years of maturing in hermetically sealed cement vats. This stage will develop the fatness and the fabulous citrus fruit aromas that characterize the Sauternes of Château Gilette, free of any oxidation, which will give it an incredible freshness despite the years.

With its amber colour, with golden reflections, notes of bitter orange jam characterize it, as well as those of leather and caramelized roasted fruits. Powerful, very long on the palate and incredibly complex, such are the glowing descriptions of Château Gilette. As a wine pairing, in addition to the traditional foie gras, a platter of runny cheeses, a lobster or a quail with grapes will be perfect.