House of Arras, Tasmania Grand Vintage
Country: Australia Region: Tasmania
Varietal: 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir
Colour: White Style: Sparkling Vintage: 2016
Producer: House of Arras
Description:
Ed Carr has been the head winemaker at House of Arras since 1998, and in 2024, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ title by the International Wine Challenge. James Halliday calls him “a quietly spoken genius, whose name should be known around the world. He is, by some considerable distance, Australia’s greatest sparkling winemaker.”
Ed has always sourced his fruit from seven of Tasmania’s best wine-growing regions: Tamar Valley, Pipers River (where House of Arras is based), Coal River Valley, the East Coast, Huon Valley, Derwent Valley, and Devonport. Offering a patchwork of soils, aspects and climatic conditions, each vineyard contributes unique characters to the final blend. Ed saw earlier than others the potential for sparkling wine in Tasmania, as the cool climate yields vibrant, acid-driven fruit that is perfectly suited for secondary fermentation and, crucially, extensive lees-ageing. Ed is a proponent of lengthy triage, insisting on lees-ageing his vintage wines for at least six years before disgorgement. As a result, the Arras sparkling wines display great depth and complexity.
The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes for this Grand Vintage are sourced from the East
Coast, Derwent Valley and Coal River Valley subregions in the south east of Tasmania, as well as from Pipers River to the north of the island.
Vinification:
Made in the traditional sparkling winemaking method, combined with fastidious modern viticultural techniques. The fruit is hand picked and gently pressed with only the highest quality juice selected for fermentation. Further complexity and character are built into the wine with 10% fermentation in new French oak barriques followed by 100% malolactic fermentation. The blended wine was matured for seven years in tirage ensuring an unrivalled depth and complexity in the wine.
Tasting Notes:
Lifted nuances of peach and honey, with distinct savoury secondary tones combined with grapefruit, oyster shell and fresh brioche. The palate is exotic and persistent, with flavours of lemon meringue and honeycomb with intriguing characters of sautéed mushroom. The low dosage complements the tension of the wine, balancing acidity and leaving the palate fresh and vibrant.
Food Pairing:
Best paired with rich seafood (lobster, oysters, sashimi), roast chicken, truffle-infused dishes, or aged Comté cheese.
Original: $123.38
-65%$123.38
$43.18Product Information
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Description
Country: Australia Region: Tasmania
Varietal: 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir
Colour: White Style: Sparkling Vintage: 2016
Producer: House of Arras
Description:
Ed Carr has been the head winemaker at House of Arras since 1998, and in 2024, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ title by the International Wine Challenge. James Halliday calls him “a quietly spoken genius, whose name should be known around the world. He is, by some considerable distance, Australia’s greatest sparkling winemaker.”
Ed has always sourced his fruit from seven of Tasmania’s best wine-growing regions: Tamar Valley, Pipers River (where House of Arras is based), Coal River Valley, the East Coast, Huon Valley, Derwent Valley, and Devonport. Offering a patchwork of soils, aspects and climatic conditions, each vineyard contributes unique characters to the final blend. Ed saw earlier than others the potential for sparkling wine in Tasmania, as the cool climate yields vibrant, acid-driven fruit that is perfectly suited for secondary fermentation and, crucially, extensive lees-ageing. Ed is a proponent of lengthy triage, insisting on lees-ageing his vintage wines for at least six years before disgorgement. As a result, the Arras sparkling wines display great depth and complexity.
The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes for this Grand Vintage are sourced from the East
Coast, Derwent Valley and Coal River Valley subregions in the south east of Tasmania, as well as from Pipers River to the north of the island.
Vinification:
Made in the traditional sparkling winemaking method, combined with fastidious modern viticultural techniques. The fruit is hand picked and gently pressed with only the highest quality juice selected for fermentation. Further complexity and character are built into the wine with 10% fermentation in new French oak barriques followed by 100% malolactic fermentation. The blended wine was matured for seven years in tirage ensuring an unrivalled depth and complexity in the wine.
Tasting Notes:
Lifted nuances of peach and honey, with distinct savoury secondary tones combined with grapefruit, oyster shell and fresh brioche. The palate is exotic and persistent, with flavours of lemon meringue and honeycomb with intriguing characters of sautéed mushroom. The low dosage complements the tension of the wine, balancing acidity and leaving the palate fresh and vibrant.
Food Pairing:
Best paired with rich seafood (lobster, oysters, sashimi), roast chicken, truffle-infused dishes, or aged Comté cheese.
