House of Arras sounds French and it would be easy to mistake this Brut Elite for a NV Champagne. Arras winemaker Ed Carr has spent the last 15 years on a quest to produce a world class sparkling. With this wine, we considered it mission accomplished! Vanilla, nougat and exotic spices on the nose, followed by a palate bursting with lychee, truffle and cinnamon flavours, this is a complex, elegant wine. Australian sparkling has come a long way in the past decade, but this is a wine that really excites us.

From the moment of bottling, this wine presents beauty and strength with delicacy. As a classically structured Tasmanian single block red, this wine is in no way to be taken lightly, albeit being a subtle and soft red. To start with, the magnificent ruby colour is a treat for the eye with delightful cherry and dark stone fruits, white flesh plum, soft black tea and white pepper present on tasting, possibly a larger nose than front palate yet delivering a great depth of the varietal.

Golden Chardonnay fruit from the Louis vineyard is cool fermented in tanks followed by extended lees contact prior to bottling. By not utilising the Burgundy technique of fermentation in oak casks this wine highlights the pure Chardonnay aromas and flavours of stone, citrus and melon fruits. The mouth-filling, smooth, fruit-salad flavours are harmoniously balanced by a refreshing crisp long finish.