One of Australia’s benchmark prestige sparkling wines, the House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged 2008 is a remarkable expression of Tasmanian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, given extraordinary complexity through 13 years ageing on lees before disgorgement. The 2008 is the 11th consecutive release of E.J. Carr Late Disgorged, a cuvée first produced from the 1998 vintage.

Composed of 64.4% Chardonnay and 35.1% Pinot Noir, the wine shows a medium straw colour with youthful green-gold highlights and an exceptionally fine, persistent bead. The bouquet is immediately complex and refined, opening with white nectarine and grapefruit pith, before revealing oyster shell, freshly baked pastry and the savoury complexity derived from extended maturation on lees.

The palate combines maturity with impressive freshness. White stone fruits lead into layers of honey, toast, saline minerality and subtle forest-floor complexity. Despite its considerable age and richness, there is remarkable tension and precision, with a firm acid backbone carrying the wine through a long, dry and beautifully defined finish.

Thirteen years in tirage have given the wine considerable secondary complexity without sacrificing the purity and vibrancy of its Tasmanian fruit. A very low 2.2 g/L dosage accentuates its mineral, savoury character and gives the finish exceptional clarity and dryness.

In 1.5L Magnum, this is an especially impressive format for cellaring, entertaining or collecting, and a fitting presentation for one of the most important wines in Australian sparkling wine.