Château Gilette Crème de Tete 1981
 
Type: Sweet wine
Grape(s): 90% Sémillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, and 2% Muscadelle
Wine Region: Barsac, Sauternes, Bordeaux
Winemaking: Organic, not vegan
 
Tasting Notes: The 1981 Chateau Gilette is a beautiful Sauternes dessert wine still has a wonderful golden colour with orange rind. It tastes young and vibrant, with good acidity and finish. Beautiful mellow nose, tenderly honeyed, with orange, lemon and dried apricot. Extremely soft, smooth, dense and very nicely balanced, super complex, spicy candy oranges on the finish. Extremely long aftertaste.
 
The Estate: The Médeville family's relationship with the Sauternais region dates back to the marriage of Numa Médeville and Marie Despujols, the latter owning her own family estate in the heart of Preignac, as well as the Gilette vineyard. A renowned businessman and seasoned traveller, Numa Médeville was behind the many awards won by his estates. His grandson René Médeville is continuing his legacy at the Château Gilette. A man of conviction, he was committed to creating wines designed to keep, which now forms the founding pillars of the estate's reputation. Christian was next in line. A father to three girls, he took over the estate with Julie. She married Xavier Gonet, a wine-maker from Champagne, and together they split the management of Gilette and Champagne Gonet-Médeville. The legend of Gilette comes from its unusual aging: 15 to 18 years in concrete vats in a reducing environment. It is said that, during the war, a tank was abandonedovni and finally gave an absolutely exceptional wine. The wines are put on the market more than 20 years later. It is a veritable UFO, produced in extremely small quantities (5000 bottles) and highly appreciated by amateurs.
Produced only when the vintage allows it, the “Crème de Tête” cuvée is harvested later than the estate's other Sauternes wines. A rigorous selection process is used here: perfectly botyrised grapes and juice that runs at 20° upon leaving the wine press. Some years (such as 1959, 1961 or 1988), the entire harvest is given over to making "Crème de Tête". Yields for this cuvée generally do not exceed 9 hl per hectare. The wine develops fantastic amber nuances due to its age. On the palate, it displays a rare creaminess with aromas of citrus fruits and honey. Its ageing potential is tremendous.
 
Suggested food and wine pairing: Great with foie gras, glazed or lacquered pork or quail, shellfish (scallops, grilled lobster), hot/sweet Thai dishes, any savoury dishes include tropical fruit (duck and mango), sweet-flavoured vegetables (confit’d fennel, roast carrots and sweet potato), chicken and pork (creamy or with fruit), savoury cheesecake, cheese (creamy blue like Roquefort  and Beenleigh Blue, washed rind like Epoisses), desserts (with ripe peaches and nectarines, strawberries and cream, simple French fruit tarts - apple and apricot tarts; roast pineapple, Crème Brûlée, panna cotta - with passionfruit, mango or early season forced rhubarb; Mille-feuille, custard tarts).
 
Country France
ALC. 14%
75cl