Creme de tete

[tim]

Question for the endless depth of knowledge on this forum:

Is there a technical requirement for a Sauternes to be considered a Creme de Tete? Or is it just something like a reserve that a Chateau can designate for a particular bottling? Why is it that only a few properties create a Creme de Tete?

Thanks

[AlexR]

Like "vieilles vignes", "réserve", "cuvée spéciale", etc., the words "crème de tête" have no legal meaning and are left to the appreciation of the producer.
At a reputable estate, à crème de tête is à richer, sweeter, more concentrated wine but, as said above, there is no legal framework for such a name.

AR

[JimHow]

I have one bottle of the old NON-creme-de-tete 1990 Filhot.
I'm guessing it is probably past its prime these days.

[SF Ed]

I have one bottle of the 1990 Filhot creme de tete left. Another bottle to share with BWE folks!

SF Ed

[DavidG]

Had a bottle of 1953 Gilette crème de tête in 2014. It was killer. Had a bottle of the 1956 Gilette crème de tête for my 60th birthday and it was awful. Pour down the drain awful.

Does Gilette even release a “regular” Sauternes or is it all crème de tête? They age it something like 20 years before release, so I guess that sets it apart from most.

[AKR]

Had a bottle of 1953 Gilette crème de tête in 2014. It was killer. Had a bottle of the 1956 Gilette crème de tête for my 60th birthday and it was awful. Pour down the drain awful.

Does Gilette even release a “regular” Sauternes or is it all crème de tête? They age it something like 20 years before release, so I guess that sets it apart from most.

I'm actually about 80% of the way through Stephen Brook's excellent book on Sauternes and he touches on many of the points in this thread.

* Gillette's 'conventional' Sauternes is Les Justices, which has both its own botrytized grapes, and rejected lots from Gillette in it. It is a different site as well. I had not known about the latter aspect, and have only had one vintage, the 1997 some years ago. It's not seen much stateside.
* Gilette's creme de tete was one of the 3 bottlings they would make, and their flagship, but they have not made the other (lower level) ones since I think the 50's. Gilette CdT is very expensive and rarely seen.
* Brooks describes all the various ways that CdT level bottlings can be comprised, and as others note, there is no'industry standard' for how to use that non AOC / INAO level of titling. At some estates, it can be specific vineyard plots that typical get the most noble rot in peak years. At other estates it can be a trie by trie selection of the most afflicted grapes. And at others, it can happen when all the barrels are tasted, well after harvest/fermentation, and some small number of the best ones are chosen for this luxe bottling, and perhaps differential elevage.

Brooks felt that Coutet and Doisy Daene's luxe bottlings were extremely intense, Yquem like.

I will tap up a review of Brook's book on this topic in a week or so, but as a sneak peak, I can thoroughly recommend it for anyone who enjoys this niche. It is very thorough/exhaustive in detail, and despite the years - it is from 1995 - the material is not stale.

[DavidG]

Thanks Arv, very interesting info on Gilette and CDT in general.
The Brooks book sounds excellent.

[Chateau Vin]

I find Gilette CdT more than any other chateau in the market though...

[stefan]

Coutet's Madame is very had to find.

The 1990 Filhot Creme de Tete did not aged as well as I thought it would.

[greatbxfreak]

https://greatbordeauxwines.com/chateau- ... ac/gilette

[DavidG]

Nice write-up Izak. I would like to get my hands on a well-stored bottle or two of the 1988 Gilette crème de tête.

[AKR]

I find Gilette CdT more than any other chateau in the market though...

I think in their situation, it's actually meant to be a commercial (moneymaking) proposition. For many other estates, Brooks suggests that it's a vanity project to show that 'we could make Yquem, if we wanted' i.e. their terroir is just as good. And those bottles are shared with critics, importers, and other influential tasters in the trade. Or maybe sold occasionally on site.

The quantities made can be very small: 300-1000 bottles, without mention if those are 750mls or something smaller.

A long time ago I had a picture of a 90 Filhot CdT vs. the regular bottling (these were in bottle) but I have never been able to find it. But to see the level of honeyed botryitis (as well as aging) here is a comparison of 1990 vs 2001 (a zippier vintage).

Regular Filhot - 1990 on left, 2001 on right

Curious trivia: M. Filhot, and his wife, lost their heads to the guillotine in 1793 during The Terror. Yet his descendants were allowed to recover the estate from sequestration perhaps a decade or so later.

[greatbxfreak]

DavidG,

Thanks.

Never heard of lesser lots of Gilette going into Les Justices. I believe they are sold for generic Sauternes wine or distillation. Steven Brooks must have some insider knowledge.

For my 70 years birthday party, I had 1986 Yquem against 1986 Gilette. An intense fight and Yquem edged it just, or you can say Yquem won by the tip of the fingernail.


Btw, nobody here mentions Extravaganza de Doisy Däene.

[Harry C.]

Suduiraut has a Cuvée Madame. I remember Parker commenting in the 80s when most Cuvée Madames started. He had concerns that those producers were robbing the quality of the basic wine by removing the best barrels for these cuvées. He even felt his tastings supported this.

[AKR]

Btw, nobody here mentions Extravaganza de Doisy Däene.

Huh? I mention it upthread...

Brooks felt that Coutet and Doisy Daene's luxe bottlings were extremely intense, Yquem like.

[JimHow]

The regular bottling of 1990 Filhot was nothing special even back in the day, I may have to uncork my line remaining bottle during the holidays to see if there is any life left.

[stefan]

>>
I remember Parker commenting in the 80s when most Cuvée Madames started. He had concerns that those producers were robbing the quality of the basic wine by removing the best barrels for these cuvées.
>>

Hmm. Estates have their style. I think that Filhot produced the CdT in 1990 because blending in the "best barrels" would make the basic cuvée too rich. That might be why Coutet makes Madame. Classic Barsac is generally not as sweet as other Sauternes.

[tim]

Thank you all! This is very useful info.

[Michael-P]

Did Yquem ever do a CdT?

[DavidG]

Did Yquem ever do a CdT?

I’m no Yquem historian, but I’m not aware that they ever have done a CDT.