House of Arras, Tasmania Grand Vintage

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, much to the horror of his accountants, 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.

‘A by Arras’ NV is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, and is lees aged for 30 months before disgorgement. This ageing period is considerably shorter than the Arras norm and offers a lighter interpretation of Ed’s distinctive style. The Blanc de Blancs NV, 100% Chardonnay, is made in the same way, resulting in notes of fresh grapefruit balanced with lemon curd and natural yoghurt. The Brut Elite and Brut Elite Rosé are made predominantly from a single vintage but include multi-vintage blending to achieve a consistent style with each release. Both wines are aged for four years on lees. The Brut Elite boasts flavours of red berries, blood orange, lychee, brioche, and truffle. The Brut Elite Rosé is delicate and refined with notes of cherry blossom and red fruits complemented by white stone fruit and flint.

The Arras signature is stamped on their vintage wines. Both the ‘Grand Vintage’ and Vintage Rosé are aged for six years on lees. The ‘Grand Vintage’ is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourced from vineyards in the East Coast, Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley and Pipers River. It is a richly textured wine that is perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity. The Vintage Rosé is equally impressive, made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is a seamless, elegant wine with layers of complexity and depth of flavour.