Château Gilette

Identity

Château Gilette is a winegrowing estate located in Preignac, in the Gironde department. It is currently owned by Julie Gonet-Médeville.

History and philosophy

Château Gilette has been a family estate for over 300 years, joining the Médeville family in 1710. The estate's hallmark is the prolonged ageing of its wines in concrete vats prior to release. This approach was pioneered by René Médeville, who began leaving his wines in vat for several years—a practice further reinforced during the Second World War.

The first vintage released by Christian Médeville, who joined the estate in 1959, was the 1937. René Médeville favoured direct sales, particularly at wine fairs in Paris. Later on, Christian Médeville shifted distribution towards fine dining, collaborating with prestigious establishments such as Troisgros, Paul Bocuse, and Alain Chapel. Château Gilette was not included in the 1855 classification due to its modest size and because its owners did not belong to the aristocracy of the era.

The appellations

The parcels of Château Gilette produce wines under the Sauternes appellation.

Practical information

Address: 33210 Preignac

Telephone: 05 56 76 28 44

Email: gonet.medeville@wanadoo.fr or jx@gonet-medeville.com

The estate offers cellar visits and tastings without an appointment. Direct sales at the property and mail order are available. Staff speak French, English, Spanish, and German.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Gilette vineyard covers an area of 4.5 hectares. The average age of the vines is around 40 years. The grape varieties are dominated by Sémillon at 90%, complemented by Sauvignon blanc (8%) and Muscadelle (2%). Harvesting is carried out by hand.

Flagship cuvées

The estate’s signature cuvée is the Sauternes Crème de Tête. This wine is distinguished by its freshness alongside notes of spice and fruit, particularly bitter orange. Its hallmark lies in its extended ageing process, which imparts an aromatic complexity characterised by aromas of verbena, linden blossom, beeswax, and white flowers, evolving towards notes of prune and fig in older vintages. Average production is 45 hl—around 5,000 to 6,000 bottles per year—and Château Gilette is produced only in favourable vintages.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification at Château Gilette follows traditional methods, selecting fruit from the two to three finest tries (selective pickings). Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. Ageing is a distinctive hallmark of the estate: it takes place in epoxy-lined concrete vats, where the wine is shielded from oxidation and rests untouched for 15 to 20 years, or between 18 and 20 years. This natural vat ageing prior to bottling is the signature of Château Gilette.