2016 Tasmania Grand Vintage, House of Arras

• Style: Tasmanian sparkling, seven-year-aged
• Taste: Stone fruit, brioche, oyster-shell minerality, bone-dry
• Food: Oysters, scallops, seafood, lighter poultry
• Occasion: Date Night; Gifting
• Serve: Chilled aperitif or at table, 8–10°C

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Seven years of deliberate craft unfolds in the glass. Peach and honey emerge first, layered with grapefruit snap and the distinctive oyster-shell salinity that Tasmania's maritime climate gifts to the grapes. The palate pivots toward the savoury: honeycomb sweetness meets lemon meringue brightness, then sautéed mushroom undertones emerge, all held in place by mouth-watering acidity and measured dosage. Bone-dry, vibrant, and composed.

The Winery — House of Arras

Ed Carr has been head winemaker at Arras since 1998 and now holds the 2024 IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year award — an honour no other Australian has claimed. He was among the first to recognise Tasmanian fruit's potential for world-class sparkling production. The 2016 vintage arrived with warmth and dry skies, encouraging early ripeness and balanced crops. Carr hand-selects fruit across Tasmania's premier cool-climate regions — East Coast, Derwent Valley, and Pipers River — then commits to rigorous ageing: ten per cent new French oak fermentation, 100% malolactic conversion, and a full seven years in tirage before disgorgement. That discipline yields richness and depth without compromise.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Reach for this aperitif-style alongside oysters, scallops with brown butter, or at table with seafood and lighter poultry—it demands good company and rewards you generously. If you're exploring fine Chardonnay blends or seeking the best of what Australia's sparkling revolution has achieved, this sits among the finest discoveries. Serve chilled at 8–10°C. Arras remains one of the world's truly serious sparkling houses, and this vintage is a gateway to understanding why cool-climate discipline and patient winemaking matter.