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Château Gilette

10 notes Sort by: Vintage - Name - Rating

1997
95
Medium-bodied, fresh, lively, sweet and lifted, with a focus on its candied citrus, pineapple, roasted, candied orange, apricot, and mango, coupled with flowers, creme brulee, nuts and spice. The bracing acidity is there giving you freshness and ample, honeyed, sugary fruits. It is amazing to think that the wine spent 22 years in vat before it was bottled and shipped!

Medium-bodied, fresh, lively, sweet and lifted, with a focus on its candied citrus, pineapple, roasted, candied orange, apricot, and mango, coupled with flowers, creme brulee, nuts and spice. The bracing acidity is there giving you freshness and ample, honeyed, sugary fruits. It is amazing to think that the wine spent 22 years in vat before it was bottled and shipped!

1,889 Views   Tasted
1996
92
Not a wine I see much, the color shows an orange tint, and so does the fruit. Fresh, racy, sweet, but not overly so, you find honeysuckle, candied orange rind, papaya and overripe apricots on the nose and palate. Gilette is an amazing wine when you consider it's aged in concrete 20 years or so before it is released.

Not a wine I see much, the color shows an orange tint, and so does the fruit. Fresh, racy, sweet, but not overly so, you find honeysuckle, candied orange rind, papaya and overripe apricots on the nose and palate. Gilette is an amazing wine when you consider it's aged in concrete 20 years or so before it is released.

1,809 Views   Tasted
1990
93
Lively, fresh, bright tropical fruits, tangerine, flowers, honey and marzipan notes blend together perfectly. Racy acidity and a honey soaked apricot finish is the name of the game here. In today's day and age, it is amazing to note this is their current release, some 27 years after the vintage!

Lively, fresh, bright tropical fruits, tangerine, flowers, honey and marzipan notes blend together perfectly. Racy acidity and a honey soaked apricot finish is the name of the game here. In today's day and age, it is amazing to note this is their current release, some 27 years after the vintage!

2,836 Views   Tasted
1989
91
I like the fruit, honey, floral, stone and spicy notes in the wine. But the lack of fatness, vanilla, custard, creme brulee and other attributes I find in young Sauternes is always a bit odd at first. It is a good, albeit unusual style of wine, due to the complete lack of oak in the aging process. Interestingly, even though it spends close to 25 years in cement vats before bottling, the wine continues aging and improving in the bottle.

I like the fruit, honey, floral, stone and spicy notes in the wine. But the lack of fatness, vanilla, custard, creme brulee and other attributes I find in young Sauternes is always a bit odd at first. It is a good, albeit unusual style of wine, due to the complete lack of oak in the aging process. Interestingly, even though it spends close to 25 years in cement vats before bottling, the wine continues aging and improving in the bottle.

3,388 Views   Tasted
1983
92
This light copper colored wine offered apricots, honeyed orange rind, sweet tropical and apricot flavors, soft, rich textures and a fully mature, pineapple, orange and citrus finish. There is ample sweetness and freshness. I did not know it at the time, but this was my last bottle. Gilette is an interesting Sauternes as it does not see ageing in oak. It's aged in cement vats for 20-25 years before bottling, so you do not find the typical, vanilla or custard sensations that are found in most sweet Bordeaux wines.

This light copper colored wine offered apricots, honeyed orange rind, sweet tropical and apricot flavors, soft, rich textures and a fully mature, pineapple, orange and citrus finish. There is ample sweetness and freshness. I did not know it at the time, but this was my last bottle. Gilette is an interesting Sauternes as it does not see ageing in oak. It's aged in cement vats for 20-25 years before bottling, so you do not find the typical, vanilla or custard sensations that are found in most sweet Bordeaux wines.

3,657 Views   Tasted
Sweet, honeyed tropical fruits greet your nose, while ripe honey drenched. pineapple, pear, apricot and orange fruit grace your palate. For lovers of sweet wines, this was very nice. It's improved over the past year. I liked this bottle a lot more than the last bottle I opened. It's hard not to love a winery that their most recent releasewas the 1983, and that came out in 2006!

Sweet, honeyed tropical fruits greet your nose, while ripe honey drenched. pineapple, pear, apricot and orange fruit grace your palate. For lovers of sweet wines, this was very nice. It's improved over the past year. I liked this bottle a lot more than the last bottle I opened. It's hard not to love a winery that their most recent releasewas the 1983, and that came out in 2006!

2,648 Views   Tasted
Light in color and light on the palate, this wine reminded me more of a Barsac than a Sauternes. Medium sweetness, but not enough concentration to be more than good. Good acidity with a nice lift. It reminded us of a good, but not great Climens.

Light in color and light on the palate, this wine reminded me more of a Barsac than a Sauternes. Medium sweetness, but not enough concentration to be more than good. Good acidity with a nice lift. It reminded us of a good, but not great Climens.

2,495 Views   Tasted
1976
94
Ripe, sweet and with searing acidity, the candied apricot, pineapple, mango and tangerine fruits coated with all that delicious honey hit the spot. This is a very specific, full bodied, concentrated, bright style of Sauternes, as the wine is not aged in oak. So, while you get the sweetness, there is no vanilla, caramel or fat from oak. Instead you find more purity of fruit and higher levels of acidity, with an orange peel leaning. This is a good thing here, as the wine was delcious to the last drop.

Ripe, sweet and with searing acidity, the candied apricot, pineapple, mango and tangerine fruits coated with all that delicious honey hit the spot. This is a very specific, full bodied, concentrated, bright style of Sauternes, as the wine is not aged in oak. So, while you get the sweetness, there is no vanilla, caramel or fat from oak. Instead you find more purity of fruit and higher levels of acidity, with an orange peel leaning. This is a good thing here, as the wine was delcious to the last drop.

3,196 Views   Tasted
Much better than the previous, and both were from the same case. This was loaded with fresh pineapples, pears, peaches, apricot, honey and nuts. The fruit was sweet, the acidity was lively. This was a sweet treat in a glass.

Much better than the previous, and both were from the same case. This was loaded with fresh pineapples, pears, peaches, apricot, honey and nuts. The fruit was sweet, the acidity was lively. This was a sweet treat in a glass.

4,118 Views   Tasted
1976 Château Gilette Crème de Tête opens with an orange, Christmas spice, nectarine, cinnamon, peach, honey and floral perfume. If that was all there was supposed to be the wine, that would have been fine. But wines need to offer pleasure on the palate too and this wine stopped short of that. Semi tart, lacking sweetness and freshness, while not great, this was average at best. Based on this bottle, the wine is slowly starting to dry out and drop its fruit. Perhaps it was the specific bottle. I'll try to open another in the moderate future.

1976 Château Gilette Crème de Tête opens with an orange, Christmas spice, nectarine, cinnamon, peach, honey and floral perfume. If that was all there was supposed to be the wine, that would have been fine. But wines need to offer pleasure on the palate too and this wine stopped short of that. Semi tart, lacking sweetness and freshness, while not great, this was average at best. Based on this bottle, the wine is slowly starting to dry out and drop its fruit. Perhaps it was the specific bottle. I'll try to open another in the moderate future.

2,693 Views   Tasted
1975
95
Much better and more interesting than anticipated, the sweet, orange and tropical fruits had loads of lift, length and complexity. Fully mature, this is great with, or as dessert.

Much better and more interesting than anticipated, the sweet, orange and tropical fruits had loads of lift, length and complexity. Fully mature, this is great with, or as dessert.

3,430 Views   Tasted
Light copper in color and filled with apricot, pineapple, orange blossom and honey accents. It had the weight of a Climens instead of Rieussec. This is ready to drink.

Light copper in color and filled with apricot, pineapple, orange blossom and honey accents. It had the weight of a Climens instead of Rieussec. This is ready to drink.

4,353 Views   Tasted
The wine is all ripe fruit. As it sees no oak, there are none of the vanilla or honeyed tones you normally find in Sauternes. The deep, orange hued wine with its elegant, ripe, tropical fruit was very rich, had good concentration and complexity and made a perfect paring with the Foies Gras

The wine is all ripe fruit. As it sees no oak, there are none of the vanilla or honeyed tones you normally find in Sauternes. The deep, orange hued wine with its elegant, ripe, tropical fruit was very rich, had good concentration and complexity and made a perfect paring with the Foies Gras

3,334 Views   Tasted
Thick, rich, concentrated, opulent flavors exploded from glass. This wine is best described as a boatload of dense, extremely ripe, honeyed fruit accompanied by a healthy dose of unique spices.

Thick, rich, concentrated, opulent flavors exploded from glass. This wine is best described as a boatload of dense, extremely ripe, honeyed fruit accompanied by a healthy dose of unique spices.

2,956 Views   Tasted
1971
83
Getting tired and starting to become oxidized. The wine was dull and lacked a lot of fragrance or fruit showing. I hope this was an off bottle. However, I think it's just old age setting in.

Getting tired and starting to become oxidized. The wine was dull and lacked a lot of fragrance or fruit showing. I hope this was an off bottle. However, I think it's just old age setting in.

3,874 Views   Tasted
1967
93
Full bodied, dense and intense, the wine focuses on its marmalade, apricot, earthy citrus, honey, tangerine and spicy personality. Fresh, powerful, bright and even zippy, the wine is not exactly refined. This is a very distinctive, even idiosyncratic style of Sauternes, due to having been aged in cement tanks for close to 25 years without seeing any oak. Perhaps, this wine is best suited for contemplation, rather than pure, sweet pleasure.

Full bodied, dense and intense, the wine focuses on its marmalade, apricot, earthy citrus, honey, tangerine and spicy personality. Fresh, powerful, bright and even zippy, the wine is not exactly refined. This is a very distinctive, even idiosyncratic style of Sauternes, due to having been aged in cement tanks for close to 25 years without seeing any oak. Perhaps, this wine is best suited for contemplation, rather than pure, sweet pleasure.

2,697 Views   Tasted
This deep orange, copperish colored wine was vibrant and alive. Full of ripe, honeyed tropical fruit and the lift of acidity. Thick, rich and concentrated, this will deliver pleasure for years.

This deep orange, copperish colored wine was vibrant and alive. Full of ripe, honeyed tropical fruit and the lift of acidity. Thick, rich and concentrated, this will deliver pleasure for years.

2,197 Views   Tasted
1950
90
Dark as molasses. It had an interesting burnt caramel nose. Lots of depth, but lacking finesse. Some sweetnees and fruit remained, but the majority of sensations came from the burnt qualities. Still, it was quite an adventure to taste a Sauternes close to 60 years old.

Dark as molasses. It had an interesting burnt caramel nose. Lots of depth, but lacking finesse. Some sweetnees and fruit remained, but the majority of sensations came from the burnt qualities. Still, it was quite an adventure to taste a Sauternes close to 60 years old.

4,580 Views   Tasted