ARRAS GRAND VINTAGE

For me, House of Arras sits comfortably among the finest sparkling wine producers anywhere in the world, and much of that reputation comes down to the extraordinary work of Chief Winemaker Ed Carr. He has been at the helm since 1995 and is widely regarded as one of the great sparkling winemakers, with international recognition that includes Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the 2024 International Wine Challenge and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. The Grand Vintage shows exactly why. There’s beautiful richness from baked pear, citrus, lemon butter and roasted almond, with those wonderful leesy, toasted characters giving it genuine Champagne-like complexity. Despite all that flavour, it remains incredibly precise, driven by crisp acidity and a chalky mineral edge. It finishes long, dry and beautifully focused. This isn’t simply a great Australian sparkling wine — it’s a seriously accomplished wine that deserves to be judged alongside some of the great sparkling wines of the world.