Palest of the palest pinks, a hint of a tint, a mere blush, however you want to describe it, the subtlety of colour is the order of the day here.
A blend of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay, the Huon Valley influence of the Pinot Noir, 74% worth, brings a real intensity to the wine. Strawberries, brie, Turkish delight, rose petals, redcurrants and dark chocolate ganache with vanilla on the nose, the 08 was released after the 09 to let the elegance and the finesse mature for a little longer before release.
Ten years on lees and this wine is still something of a baby. Pretty and delicate but with unmistakable complexity, I could sit with this wine for hours and contemplate the flavours as they evolve in the glass, looking out over the ocean from my fantasy beachside retreat. Red cherries, redcurrants, fresh strawberries, vanilla, a sunny day in a rose garden, quince, pomegranate, raspberry sherbert, mushrooms and thyme on brioche toast, I could wax lyrical for hours about this wine but I’m going to have to get on with more work so that I can buy my beachside abode and sit in a hammock drinking Arras Rosé and being whimsical and charming. I may even treat myself to a seared duck salad with watercress and a redcurrant dressing, or maybe truffled mushrooms on brioche to go with it. This will continue to age beautifully over the next decade so you have quite some time to decide what you would like to eat with it.
97 points, The Wine Front (August 2020)
Very light and very aged onion-skin colour, not pink any longer. The bouquet is very developed also - there are predominant nutty aromas and no primary fruit remains. It's light and savoury, very mellow and nutty, the refinement of the wine impressive and it shows no sign of fattening up with age. The finish is cleanly dry and savoury, lingering and multi-faceted. A delicious mature wine.
94 points, The Real Review (August 2020)
