ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Château Haut-Rian
The estate was founded in 1988 by Michel and Isabelle Dietrich, both children of winegrowers from Alsace and Champagne. After enjoying successful careers in Germany, Australia, and Bordeaux, they decided to settle in the pretty medieval village of Rions. For 30 years, they worked to make Château Haut-Rian a benchmark in terms of quality among the region’s family-owned estates.
Their daughter Pauline first studied at HEC Paris, where she met her husband William. He grew up in the Paris region, immersed in the world of gastronomy. They left to gain their first professional experience in Singapore, then decided to return to France and take over Pauline’s family vineyard.
Pauline graduated with a degree in oenology from Montpellier in 2016; she took over the estate in 2019. William joined the adventure in 2020 after completing a degree in viticulture and oenology in Angers.
The property is located 18 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux, in the tiny village of Rions. The vineyards spread over 85 hectares encompassing parts of Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and Entre-Deux-Mers, bordering the village of Cadillac and near the Garonne River, ”where the vines can see the water but won’t get their feet wet.” 20 hectares are in the village of Soulignac, where the main plots for white grapes (Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, some of them planted before 1960, and used for selection massale) can be found, as the terroir is cooler than in Rions (12km away). The climate there is warmer than the maritime Médoc, but also drier. All of the vineyards are on gentle slopes facing south and southeast, and the topsoil consists of loose pebbles over limestone.
Farming/vinification practices: Organic certified for all wines (Ecocert) & Biodynamic certified for all grapes (Demeter), 2025. Some wines were certified earlier, e.g. the 2022 Pure Gourmandise. Pauline is using lower sulfites and decreasing the amount with every vintage – right now they’re at about 80ppm (organic maximum is 150 for white and 100 for red, non-organic maximum is 200 for white and 150 for red).
Every plot is in organic conversion – they will be fully certified in 2025.
90+ year old Sémillon vines – Minou, handsome winery host – grasshopper cooling off in a vine.
