2017 House of Arras Blanc de Blancs

97 pts
An exceptionally refined sparkling which showcases the purity of Tasmanian Chardonnay.

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Description

Ed Carr basically set the standard for Tasmanian sparkling, and his Blanc de Blancs is always a highlight. This 2017 release is 100% Chardonnay sourced from top sites across the East Coast, Derwent and Coal River Valleys. 

The real work happens in the cellar. This wine spent a massive seven years on lees - a huge amount of time that gives it incredible texture and complexity. They have kept the dosage super low at just 2.9g/L, which means it is bone dry and leaves the fruit nowhere to hide.

In the glass, it balances freshness with serious depth. You get lifted grapefruit and nectarine upfront, but underneath there are savoury layers of toasted brioche, roasted almond and even a hint of white truffle. It is creamy and generous but finishes with a salty, mineral kick. If you want to see just how good Australian sparkling can get, this is one of the best sparklings in the country.

97 points
"A smashing blanc de blancs in a high-tension, very dry and tightly focused style."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

96+ points
"A spectacular Blanc de Blancs. It is a wonderfully elegant, complex wine..."
- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

97 points - "Very light lemon yellow colour; fresh and bright aroma suggesting iced pastry, lemon acid drops and meringue. The wine is very taut, tense and delicate in the mouth, with a serious spine of acidity and bone-dry balance. A remarkably youthful, restrained wine for its years and its graceful ageing thus far suggests it will continue to mellow and mature happily in bottle for quite a few more years. A smashing blanc de blancs in a high-tension, very dry and tightly focused style." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

96 points - "A spectacular Blanc de Blancs. It is a wonderfully elegant, complex wine with an enduring base of grapefruit, lemon and apple accented with nuances of sea spray, crushed stone, ozone, white peach, grilled nuts and apple pastries. It boasts the finest aromatics of the new releases and the time on lees has built a layered palate of brioche, lemon curd, crème fraîche and proving sourdough. The detail and tension on the palate is spot on, with an elegance of structure. The wine slowly fades with soft spice, grapefruit and apple sorbet, the flavours stretching on for a good time indeed." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "A smidge of reduction to start, after seven years on lees, it’s more than understandable that it needs a few moments to stretch its legs. Then the race is on: flashes of poached quince and Jazz apple, salted grapefruit and fresh cream bun, vanilla pod, gently toasted Brazil nuts, Meyer lemon, and an earthy hint of white button mushrooms. On the palate, the tanginess and liveliness say it all, with notes of Jazz apple, citrus fruit, and a touch of jasmine, before shifting into honeyed toast and closing on a pristine line of acidity with plenty of mineral-driven chalk character. There’s a bite of minerality that leaves the palate clean, with a feathery sensation — as though it were lulling you on the surface of the water." - Lisa Cardelli (Wine Pilot)

94 points - "A cool and with fine, spritely bubbles, tight and compact, somewhat chalky texture. Perfume a little mute, but you could say subtle. Awash with light nougat, almonds, gentle lime and green apple notes, a bit of sea spray and a saline core. Acidity is a firm rod through the wine. Decidedly elegant and very fine." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

The House of Arras Blanc de Blancs 2017 is a true expression of the elegance, purity and refinement found in wines crafted from cool climate, Tasmanian Chardonnay fruit with extensive time in tirage.

GRAPE VARIETY Chardonnay 100%
TIRAGE 7 years
DOSAGE 2.9g/L
ALC/VOL 12.7%
ACIDITY 7.1g/L
pH 2.97
Appearance
Light to medium straw with a green-golden hue. An ultra fine persistent bead.

Bouquet
Lifted notes of grapefruit and nectarine open the wine before developing into characters of marzipan, freshly toasted brioche and sea salt spray.

Palate
A generous and creamy palate displaying notes of citrus, stone fruit, hazelnut and roasted almond with a hint of white truffle. The wine exhibits a liveliness through its crisp acidity, great minerality and fine, persistent bead. The influence of tirage is evident through the wine’s exquisite depth and low dosage unearths the fruit’s complexity and linear freshness.

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

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Sparkling
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Tasmania
Australian State TAS
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Real Review
Critic Score 97
96
Size 750ml
Vintage 2017
Closure Cork

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