House Of Arras E.J Carr Late Disgorged 2008 (1pk)

This wine spent an extraordinary 13 years on lees in triage, which is significantly longer than most sparkling wines that typically age for 2-5 years. This extended lees contact develops incredible complexity, creating layers of brioche and toast flavours while building a creamy, luxurious texture. The result is a wine that rivals the finest Champagne houses, earning it recognition as a benchmark Australian sparkling and multiple 97-98 point scores from leading critics.

Tasmania's cool climate and pristine conditions create the perfect environment for sparkling wine production, similar to Champagne's terroir. The island's consistent temperatures allow grapes to retain natural acidity while developing complex flavours slowly. House of Arras, led by E.J. Carr, has become the poster child for Tasmanian excellence, with their wines consistently outperforming mainland Australian sparklings and earning international recognition including Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge.

Late disgorgement means the wine remained on its lees (dead yeast cells) for much longer than usual before the sediment was removed - in this case, 13 years versus the typical 2-3 years. This extended contact creates autolytic characters like brioche, toast, and nuts while building a richer, more complex flavour profile. The wine develops a creamy mousse and gains mineral depth, resulting in a more sophisticated and age-worthy sparkling wine that can continue to evolve in bottle.

This wine is extremely limited, with the description noting it's 'like herding cats' to get hold of. House of Arras produces small quantities using traditional methods, and the 13-year lees aging process means very limited annual releases. Its inclusion in Langtons Classification as First Class and recognition in Halliday's Top 100 Wines creates intense demand among collectors and connoisseurs, making each release highly sought after and quickly allocated.

The wine's rich, complex profile with brioche and toast notes makes it perfect for sophisticated pairings beyond typical sparkling wine fare. Try it with fresh oysters to complement the minerality, aged cheeses that echo the nutty lees characters, or roasted poultry where the wine's medium body won't be overwhelmed. The 13 years of lees aging creates enough complexity to stand up to richer dishes like lobster thermidor or even white truffle preparations.