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Australia's premier sparkling winemaker, Ed Carr, produces elite sparkling wines that border on the perfection. The equal to any prestigious Champagne, House of Arras have a track record of releasing Australia's finest examples. Here the new Arras Blanc de Blancs is the latest to join the range and is a sparkling wine that truly expresses the attributes of prestige Tasmanian Chardonnay, meticulous winemaking and extensive age on yeast lees. Hands on techniques including gentle whole bunch pressing, fermentation on light lees which went through 100% malolactic and almost 10 years in tirage were employed. The wine itself is a masterpiece that possesses a brilliant clarity and ultra-fine persistent bead. Lifted citrus of grapefruit and lemon zest are complimented with buttered toast.

Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is vibrant and robust with great balance from the bouquet of ripe forest fruits and violet on the nose; A refined structure of tannins, oak use and the acidity on the palate; All are great indications of a wine that would benefit from careful bottle maturation for many years to come.

The first grape plantings on what we know as Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste date from the 1500s and the property began to take its present shape in the 1700s. The beautiful château itself, still in use, was built in the second half of the 19th Century. Grand-Puy-Lacoste was classified a Cinquième Cru (Fifth Growth) in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. Vineyard area totals 55ha planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Typically for Pauillac, deep, gravelly topsoil overlies a limestone base. The Grand Puy of the name is a low hill that interrupts the flat landscape. Owned by the prominent Borie family since 1978, the vineyard, cellars and winery have all been extensively renovated since 2004. The Grand Vin is classic Pauillac full bodied, tannic, concentrated and ageworthy, offering cassis, cedar, tobacco and truffle scents and a juicy mouthful of flavour. There is a second wine, Lacoste Borie.