House of Arras: Building a Tasmanian icon

The use of ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ as terms might be increasingly redundant as descriptors in the global landscape of wine, but they remain useful when discussing geographical wine regions.

There is little question that a place that has produced wine commercially for less than 70 years is a new kid on the block, compared to one that has hundreds (or thousands) of vintages under its belt.

When exploring a newer wine region, I find it interesting that, without question, one or two names are always synonymous with it.

Sometimes, those names were the region’s founding wineries. Sometimes, they were the first to buck the trend and see potential for greatness – rebels, you might say.

And sometimes, it’s a little of both, along with such a deep commitment to excellence that a name itself becomes congruent with the place.

Ed Carr’s name has been synonymous with House of Arras since its inception in 1995.

And House of Arras is a name intrinsically bound to Tasmanian wine, a shining beacon for the possibilities that abound for Australian sparkling wine.

The beginnings

Tasmania was a fledgling wine industry with just 46ha under vine when Carr visited in 1988 and earmarked the state for sparkling wine production.

It was while working at Hardys that Arras was founded by the business in 1995, and Carr was appointed chief sparkling winemaker.

‘I started with what was then BRL Hardy in 1994, and we had the plan to extend our premium sparkling wine winemaking to expand into new cold climate areas,’ says Carr, over a hydrating glass of bubbles. ‘I mean, it was still pretty new stuff then, most of the colder regions.’

Other cooler regions at play included Pemberton, Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Tumbarumba and Macedon.

‘But we knew that what we wanted to do moving forward was to create a world-class wine. In 1995, we proved our theories that Tasmania would be the best to suit our style.'

Why Tassie?

Ever the master of understatement, Carr adds: ‘We didn't have a name for a brand at that stage; we were just making wine, really.’

The original Arras releases – 1995, 1996 and 1997 – were blends of fruit from Tasmania and the upper Yarra Valley.

Carr explains: 'We liked the structure of the higher latitudes, so the more southerly vineyards [of Australia] as opposed to the high altitude vineyards. Or a combination of both. And Tasmania offered the southerly latitude and the maritime climate.'

By 1998 Arras had accessed several more vineyards in Tasmania beyond the initial Tamar and Pipers River sites.

‘We found that we had the diversity of fruit coming from within Tasmania, so we didn’t need to step outside it,’ says Carr. ‘In fact, if we blended something else in [from another region], it seemed to sort of blow the structure a bit down the track.’

Thirty years on

Over the course of the past three decades, the brand has changed hands several times and is now owned by boutique Australian producer Handpicked Wines.

But Carr has remained a constant. A guardian of the cellar reserves, he has gently guided the growth of Arras from a single label, the Grand Vintage, to a portfolio.

‘We spent the last 30 years fine-tuning our style and planting or purchasing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, in all seven or eight regions [in Tasmania], then seeing where they fit in a matrix of base wines,’ he says.

‘It’s interesting how those different sub-regional terroirs express themselves with the different varieties and how we’ve managed those into the various blends.’

The house style is one that sings clearly from the glass. Lengthy tirage and a sophisticated oak regime are hallmarks of the Arras style, with fermentation of up to 10% in oak introduced from 2007 onwards.

Carr adds: ‘We've always gone for the more robust sort of style, the richer style. Our use of 100% malolactic fermentation and oak probably enhances that. We pick it quite ripe compared to other people.’

Patience is a virtue

‘If anything has amazed us over the course of time, it's how well these wines age,’ continues Carr.

‘Initially, we thought four years was a very long tirage time. But now we’re thinking 20 years is achievable with all the cuvées. We just have to choose when and how we want to sell them.’

One of the biggest learning curves has been the management of stock, as there is nothing that can replace what time adds in traditional-method sparkling wines.

As confidence in the Arras brand grew, there’s been a progressive build-up in the tirage age.

‘Making the wines, keeping tirage stocks and finished goods in museum and assessing them over time; it’s a business model you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody to fund,’ notes Carr.

‘Essentially, you’re saying I’m going to pick some grapes this year and you're not going to see a wine on the shelf for six.’

The favourite child

So, over 30 years, are there any standout vintages or wines for the man who has made them all?

‘Oh, 2008 stands out really strongly,’ he says. ‘And the Late Disgorged is one of my favourites for being a classic. We’ve just disgorged the 2013 and that’s looking very strong.’

More recently, 2015 was a favourite. ‘The 2015 Grand Vintage really is just a killer. It’s just been so successful and very, very strong.

'So probably the 2015 for overall appeal. I almost can’t wait for the 2015 to come out as the Late Disgorged, but that’s still three years away yet,’ he adds.

Where to from here?

30 years is a milestone for a Tasmanian wine label, but there are plenty of plans and aspirations ahead.

Carr says: ‘We’re looking back at some wines which have had three, four and five years of cork age. I love that style, but that really comes back to the consumer holding on to them. So we might hold back some bottlings for release with extra cork age. That would be interesting.’

Other possibilities include a blanc de noir with oak reserve influence; ‘but that’s not in tirage yet, so that's a long wait’.

More magnums in the market are a reality, as is an increased focus on the international market.

‘The feedback from international markets is very, very positive about Tasmania in general. It’s like it’s a discovery of something entirely new,’ says Carr.

While there have been many stalwarts of the Tassie wine industry over the years, including people who planted key vineyards and people who have made great wine, Carr’s name, like the Arras wines, is one that speaks of consistency, persistence and generosity.

Putting Tasmania on the map

The global representation of Tasmanian wine is largely led by the Arras name, for both quality and export reach.

Meanwhile Carr’s international accolades – including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships and the Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge – have placed his name, and thus Tasmania’s, in the spotlight for sparkling wine.

However, Carr never speaks in the singular. It is not ‘I’, but ‘we’. Most importantly, it is his willingness to share his knowledge with the Tassie wine community, with a humble and quiet knowing, that has stitched his name into the fabric of Tasmanian wine.

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