House of Arras Brut Elite NV (Australia)

Description

"The rise and rise of the fortunes of the House of Arras has been due to two things: first, the exceptional skills of winemaker Ed Carr, and second, its access to high quality Tasmanian chardonnay and pinot noir. While there have been distinguished sparkling wines made in Tasmania for many years, none has so consistently scaled the heights of Arras. The complexity, texture and structure of the wines are akin to that of Bollinger RD and Krug; the connection stems from the 7-15+ years the wines spend on lees prior to disgorgement" James Halliday, Wine Companion

"The philosophy for Arras sparkling wines is simple, to create world class sparkling wines. Created by Australia’s most awarded sparkling winemaker, Ed Carr, outstanding fruit are sourced across Tasmania's premium cold climate regions. The art of blending sparkling wine is one that can only be mastered by perfecting the craft, patience to allow the wine to mature at its own pace and the experience to know when it is at its best. The entire portfolio of Arras sparkling wines are held back between 3-10 yrs to give these wines the distinction, quality and maturity they require to be world class, unique sparkling wines" Winemaker

Crystal clear with an extremely fine bead and persistent mousse, the Arras Brut Elite is the delicate colour of fresh straw with a bright green/gold hue. On the nose, the wine has an unmistakably inviting and complex mlange of aromas with influences of sea spray, sour dough yeast as well as the aromas of truffle and nougat. A mineral and elegant palate structure with flavours evolving in the glass around lychee and stone fruits, complemented with truffle and lanolin nuances. The impeccable balance of sugar, acid and tannins shows great structural elegance and seamless persistence of flavour.

Pinot Noir (59.8%), Chardonnay (40.2%). Blended from the classic sparkling grape varieties, impeccably grown in the premium viticultural regions of Tasmania.

Hand picked and gently whole bunch pressed. After fining, these individual batches were fermented on light grape solids and underwent malolactic fermentation on primary ferment lees. Once clarified, they were blended to style, and prepared for secondary fermentation in bottle. Extended maturation on yeast lees further built complexity and depth. The expedition dosage completes this traditional method wine, adding the last components of complexity.