2009 House of Arras Grand Vintage

97 pts
Rare museum release of one of the finest sparkling wines ever produced in Australia.

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Sale price$125.00
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Re-stocking, ships in 2-5 business days
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Description

This is a very exciting and rare museum release of one of Australia's finest ever sparkling wines. House of Arras is the undisputed pinnacle of Australian sparkling wine, with chief winemaker Ed Carr consistently crafting releases that rival the very best of Champagne.  James Halliday even went as far as to call this very vintage "Australia's answer to Krug"! 

The 2009 Grand Vintage - a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir sourced primarily from the Derwent Valley and the East Coast of Tasmania - spent an extraordinary twelve years on tirage and a further four years in bottle, with a small portion of the base wine fermented in oak to build unparalleled structural scale.

The 2009 growing season yielded fruit of incredible concentration and structural stamina, allowing the wine to develop monumental secondary complexity while keeping its cool-climate Tasmanian freshness entirely intact.  It was a monumental release at the time, and even more awe-inspiring now as a museum release

The nose is an incredibly complex, multi-layered mix of baked brioche, roasted hazelnuts, and smoked charcuterie, alongside fresh nuances of green apple, lemon juice, and a sea-spray salinity. The palate is rich, ample, and mouth-filling, carrying a creamy, buttery texture and a fantastic mousse presence. A deep, savory core of truffles, brulee and sweet spice is driven through the back end by a piercing line of oyster-shell acidity, culminating in a glorious finish that lingers for minutes.

It's received 97 points from Halliday, The Wine Front and The Real Review, and just a couple of weeks ago claimed the Platinum Trophy from the Decanter World Wine Awards!  This is a legendary release that firmly establishes House of Arras as Australia’s premier sparkling producer.  Extremely limited.

97 points
"Australia's answer to Krug."
- James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)

Decanter Platinum Trophy & 97 points – "Incomparable complexity; displaying the youth of ripe apple, citrus and dried grass alongside the depth of nougat and honey. Rich and buttery on the palate with a fantastic mousse presence and absorbing acidity. Long and glorious." - Decanter World Wine Awards 2026

Gold Medal & 96 points - "Rich apple and brioche aromas. Some secondary character with almond and a saline shot coming through. Good richness and complexity and a long finish." - International Wine Challenge 2026

97 points - "65.9/34.1% chardonnay/pinot noir, aged for 9 years on lees, disgorged Apr '20 the dosage only 2.5g/l. Full straw-yellow hue; layered brioche complexity, powerful drive and length. Australia's answer to Krug." - James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)

97 points - "You can go Chard or you can go home. Ed Carr went Chard. 66% Chardonnay, mostly from the Derwent Valley and Freycinet on the East Coast, this is a delightful combination of maturity and lively freshness. Nine years on lees with a small percentage of the base wine fermented in oak, these bubbles are awash with baked brioche, peaches, vanilla, almonds, truffle creme brulee and sweet spices. Despite all these delicious rich characteristics, the freshness and structure are undeniable. There is a wealth of crushed oyster shells, ripe lemon juice, juicy green apples and a sea spray salinity which lingers long in the mouth and kept me wanting more.

Arras has been something of a Tasmanian icon since the label was established back in 1995 and with a wine like this, it is easy to see why. The goal is one of elegance, complexity, depth and a wine that can spend considerable time on its lees and still have a long life ahead of it. Ed Carr and the team are kicking goals, as the youth say, with every release and long may it continue. If you are yet to discover Tasmanian sparkling wines, I would recommend going Chard on this one, but be careful, you may end up making Tasmania your home." - Curly Haslam-Coates (The Wine Front)

97 points - "Bright, light to medium yellow colour. The bouquet is exquisitely multi-layered and arresting, creamy toasty, roasted hazelnut and smoked-charcuterie aromas, honey and lemon chardonnay nuances discernible within the overall complexity. Buttery popcorn as it warmed up. This all transfers superbly to the palate, where the wine is mouth-filling, rich and ample, soft but dry textured and the aftertaste is tremendously long. It can still be tasted minutes later. A great sparkling wine and a magical drink, at its peak at 13 years." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

The House of Arras Grand Vintage 2009 is a refined expression of vineyard, vintage and winemaking mastery, showcasing exceptional depth, structure and finesse. Delicate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir characters reveal notes of toasted sourdough, field mushroom, lemon curd and malted barley, balanced by fine acidity and mineral tension.

Appearance
Sparkling yellow gold with a wonderfully fine bead.

Bouquet
Lifted aromas reminiscent of fresh brioche, white flowers, oyster shell and exotic spice.

Palate
A seamless, elegantly structured palate of toasted sourdough, field mushroom, lemon curd and malted barley, with fine tension and poise. Low dosage balances perfectly with fine tannins and natural acidity.

Vineyard Provenance
Tasmania; Derwent Valley, East Coast, Coal River Valley, Pipers River and Tamar Valley

GRAPE VARIETY Chardonnay 66%, Pinot Noir 34%
TIRAGE 9 years
DOSAGE 3.1g/L
ALC/VOL 12.5%
ACIDITY 7.6g/L
pH 3.12

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Sparkling
Country Australia
Australian State TAS
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Decanter
The Real Review
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 12.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2009
Closure Cork

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