2016 Arras Rose, Tasmania

Light straw with a slight blush and a fine, energetic bead and aromas of red and green apple, citrus fruits, redcurrant and distant wild strawberry notes. Hints of oyster shell, raspberry flan, meadow flowers, freshly baked brioche, dried honey, sea spray, crushed riverstone and makrut lime butter. Soft spice notes waft in on the palate with a touch of grilled hazelnut, finishing stony dry and beautifully focused and pure of line.

96 points Dave Brookes winecompanion.com.au

Arras Rosé from Tasmania is a wonderfully expressive, long aged méthode traditionnelle sparkling drawn from some of the island’s finest cool climate vineyards. Ed Carr and the House of Arras team source Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from the state’s coldest, most maritime sites, where ancient sandstone, basalt and limestone soils meet bracing Southern Ocean winds. These conditions create fruit with crystalline acidity and precise flavour development, the ideal foundation for a rosé built on finesse and quiet power. After whole bunch pressing and meticulous parcel selection, the wine undergoes traditional bottle fermentation and is left to rest on lees for many years. This extended maturation is the Arras hallmark, building complexity, richness and that luxurious, signature texture few sparkling rosés outside Champagne can achieve.

The aromatics are vibrant yet deeply layered. Wild strawberry, cranberry and raspberry form the bright red fruited core, joined by pomegranate, blood orange and red apple skin. Lees ageing introduces notes of brioche, almond meal, meringue, soft pastry and warm spice, while Tasmania’s coastal influence brings a cool thread of oyster shell, sea spray and crushed stone. As it opens, the bouquet widens into rose petal, rhubarb, pink grapefruit and a delicate herbal lift, creating a perfume that is both elegant and quietly powerful.

The palate is poised, silky and beautifully detailed. A fine, persistent bead carries red berries, citrus and subtle stone fruit across a gently creamy mid palate shaped by its long rest on lees. Flavours of strawberry, redcurrant, grapefruit zest, peach skin and subtle spice unfold with clarity while bright Tasmanian acidity keeps the wine energetic and refined. A chalk edged mineral line anchors the wine from start to finish, giving length and precision. The finish is long, dry and exquisitely clean, lingering with berries, florals and a cool saline echo. With further bottle age it develops toasty, honeyed, biscuity depth while preserving its fine structure.

Exceptional with salmon gravlax, tuna carpaccio, lobster, prawns, crispy duck, charcuterie, washed rind cheeses, creamy mushroom dishes or served alone as a celebratory glass. It’s a rosé with both delicacy and substance, perfectly showcasing Tasmania’s place among the world’s great sparkling regions.