Chateau Haut Rian Bordeaux Blanc Sec, Sémillon & Sauvignon 2019

Dry and fresh, with masses of fresh gooseberry fruit and a soft citrus acidity. Whilst the wine is fully dry it is packed with rich gooseberry flavour and has a wonderful fresh zesty acidity that balances the fruit, providing a ripe mouthfilling experience.

The wine maker at Chateau Haut-Rian is the very skilled and experienced Michel Dietrich, who has degrees in winemaking from both Beaune and Bordeaux universities. He then spent time in the wine business in Australia before taking over this vineyard, and the wide range of skills and experiences show in the wine. The extra layers of fruit that is the New World trademark are evident here, but balanced with the traditional Bordeaux approach.

It is also classic in its fresh fruit driven style and the method of production, maceration peliculiere, where the grapes are held for a short time on their skins before crushing. This adds an extra level of flavour and structure to the wine, but has to be done with care so as not to add excess tannins and unbalance the wine. The fermentation is then long and slow to allow maximum aromatic development in the fruit.