For most people, nothing quite signals the start of a celebration like the distinctive pop of a cork coming out of a bottle of luxurious, elegant sparkling wine. For too long, the sparkling wine scene has been dominated by the French producers of Champagne, with their ancestral wineries and careful blends of noble grape varietals. Times are a-changing, however, and it seems that high-end Australian sparkling wine is about to have its day.

A Very Special Release

Last year, Australia released its most expensive bottle of white sparkling wine. Made by the prestigious House of Arras in South Australia, the EJ Carr 1998 Late Disgorged 20th Anniversary bottle of fizz costs $350 per bottle, and judging by most reviews of the wine, it’s worth every cent. This special release bottle of bubbly is made in McLaren Vale, using the finest grapes imported from Tasmania. It celebrates twenty fantastic years of the luxury Arras brand, which is more or less single-handedly bearing the standard for traditionally made Australian sparkling wine, leading the battle against the world-dominating Champagne labels of France. What makes it so special? It’s made from grapes grown in the three finest vineyards in Tasmania, and then left to ferment in the same bottle for sixteen years, allowing it to develop a deeply fascinating set of flavours, aromas and characteristics.

Image: The Advertiser

The price tag of $350 puts Arras 1998 EJ Carr in the same bracket as some of the most sought-after sparkling wines coming out of Champagne, including Dom Ruinart, Taittinger Comtes, Cristal and Krug. With its fine, elegant bubbles, and exceptional balance of blended fine grapes, reviewers say it easily stands up to its competitors while flying the flag for a new generation of luxury Australian viticulture.

Australian Sparkling Wine on the World Stage

Before this one, the previous most expensive Australian sparkling wine was another bottle from Arras, the 2002 EJ Carr which cost $150 a bottle. This particular vintage proved its might on the global wine scene, as in 2015 it was recognised in London at the International Wine and Spirit Competition as the world’s finest sparkling wine not from Champagne.

The vintner behind both these remarkable bottles of top-end Aussie wine is McLaren Vale based Ed Carr, who has been at the forefront of the new wave of fine Australian wines since 1995. As well as creating these Arras bottles, Carr has overseen the creation of Accolade’s luxury brands such as Grant Burge and Sir James.

These sparkling wines represent a step forward in the ever-evolving Australian fine wine scene, and to have a bottle or case of these sparkling wines in your wine cellar is to own a piece of Australian viticultural history.