1983 Château Gilette

Château Gilette is an 11-acre estate in the center of the village of Preignac, in the Sauternes appellation. It is owned by Gonet-Medeville Vignobles, a family enterprise run by descendants of the Medeville family who originally owned Château Gilette in the early 18th century. The Gonet-Medeville enterprise owns several other estates in Bordeaux, Sauternes and Champagne. Château Gilette’s vineyards are planted to 90% Semillon, 9% Sauvignon and 1% Muscadelle. About 5,000 bottles are produced annually. The estate is an anomaly, notes Robert M. Parker Jr., because of its practice of not releasing wine for 15-25 years. Parker notes that “Gilette has a special place because of its high quality and remarkable longevity.”

Sauternes makes the world’s most famous dessert wines. Though the appellation lies within the Graves region of Bordeaux’s left bank, the appellation makes only sweet wines from white grapes, primarily Semillon sometimes blended with small amounts of Muscadelle. The five communes within Sauternes are Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes. Barsac also has its own appellation and, typically, Barsac wines are slightly drier and lighter than other Sauternes. Sauternes are made when weather conditions result in a mold called Botrytis cinerea developing on the grapes, which causes them to become especially sweet. Sauternes are not produced every vintage, so successful vintages become especially collectible. Sauternes estates were classified in 1855, and Château d’Yquem, the appellation’s most prestigious estate, was ranked in a class by itself as a Premier Grand Cru. Château d’Yquem wines are among the most prized wines in the world.