House of Arras Vintage Rosé Tasmania – 2014

“Medium straw colour with a copper tinge, the bouquet is exceedingly complex, with mineral and oyster-shell aromas, toast and nutty nuances including peanut brittle, the palate full and generously flavoured with layers of flavour and wonderful dimension. The finish is dry and appetising, the acidity harmonious and the balance outstanding. A glorious glass of almost-pink bubbly.” 97pts The Real Review, August 2022

Winemaker Ed Carr’s notes

Born of a long-held desire to craft world class sparkling wines, the House of Arras is a true expression of its origin and maker – a marriage of exceptional cold climate Tasmanian vineyards and uncompromising sparkling winemaking techniques mastered over decades. The House of Arras Rosé is a sophisticated sparkling rosé style with a wonderful balance of red fruits and complexity from age.

GRAPE VARIETIES
Pinot Noir 75% Chardonnay 25%

COLOUR
Sparkling gold blushed with a youthful crimson hue, enlivened by a refined and persistent bead.

NOSE
Lifted fruit aromas of maraschino cherry and fresh raspberry combine with scents of sour dough yeast and a hint of vanilla bean.

PALATE
Seamless, luscious and intensely focussed wine, showing characters of Turkish Delight, desiccated blood orange and a nuance of red berry yoghurt. The low dosage is perfectly balanced with the fruit, natural acidity and fine tannin. The line is precise, the fruit vibrant and finishes with a superbly persistent complexity.

VINEYARD REGION
Tasmania (Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, Pipers River & East Coast).

VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Winter and spring were cold, wet and challenging, conditions that continued into flowering, significantly reducing the yield and resulting in a high incidence of ‘hen and chicken’ berries on the bunches. Due to the uneven ripening of the bunches, hang time was increased to avoid unripe characters in the larger berries. This approach was very successful and resulted in full and consistently ripe flavours in the wines. The low yield resulted in wines of high intensity and viscosity.

WINEMAKING
Primary fermentation was in stainless steel (89%) and (11%) fermented in first use French Oak barriques. A minimum seven years maturation in tirage, followed by tailored dosage, results in mature and savoury style enlivened by an early rush of fresh red berry fruits from the high portion of Pinot Noir, whilst the addition of Chardonnay offers elegance and flavour diversity.

TIRAGE
The wine spent seven years on its lees in bottle during second fermentation.

DOSAGE
3.0 g/l

Alc/Vol:13.5% 

FOOD MATCH
Poultry and game meats.