House of Arras Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2017

A spectacular Blanc de Blancs. It is a wonderfully elegant, complex wine with an enduring base of grapefruit, lemon and apple accented with nuances of sea spray, crushed stone, ozone, white peach, grilled nuts and apple pastries. It boasts the finest aromatics of the new releases and the time on lees has built a layered palate of brioche, lemon curd, crème fraîche and proving sourdough. The detail and tension on the palate is spot on, with an elegance of structure. The wine slowly fades with soft spice, grapefruit and apple sorbet, the flavours stretching on for a good time indeed. 96 points – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion

A smidge of reduction to start, after seven years on lees, it’s more than understandable that it needs a few moments to stretch its legs. Then the race is on: flashes of poached quince and Jazz apple, salted grapefruit and fresh cream bun, vanilla pod, gently toasted Brazil nuts, Meyer lemon, and an earthy hint of white button mushrooms. On the palate, the tanginess and liveliness say it all, with notes of Jazz apple, citrus fruit, and a touch of jasmine, before shifting into honeyed toast and closing on a pristine line of acidity with plenty of mineral-driven chalk character. There’s a bite of minerality that leaves the palate clean, with a feathery sensation — as though it were lulling you on the surface of the water. 95 points – Lisa Cardelli, Wine Pilot