It’s not often that a maker of sparkling wine can contribute so dramatically to the fortunes and reputation of a wine company as large as BRL Hardy. Ed Carr was formerly the sparkling winemaker for Seaview and Killawarra, where he fashioned an enviable reputation for the quality and consistency of the very affordable Seaview Pinot Noir Chardonnay blend, its Chardonnay Cuvee and Edwards & Chaffey Pinot Noir Chardonnay (formerly the Edmond Mazure blend). In 1994 he jumped ship to become BRL Hardy’s chief sparkling winemaker and, given the time lags inherent in making sparkling wine, the company hasn’t looked back since. It hasn’t just been a matter of playing the numbers right to pump out more wine. Far from it indeed. At all price levels, from the basement Omni NV label to the premier Arras brand Carr has delivered quality, recognised both in the marketplace and the show circuit. His focus has been towards cool-climate chardonnay and pinot noir sourced from various Tasmanian regions and the substantial, if rather erratic Hoddles Creek site in the Yarra Valley. Even the competitively priced Sir James wines include a substantial component of its fruit, such is Carr’s conviction towards Tassie’s place in the sparkling scheme of things. Several of the higher-profiled Australian makers of sparkling wine consider they have little choice but to release their wines after just eighteen months to two years on yeast lees in a response to market demand. Carr determined that reserved, steely fruit delivered by the best vineyards to which he has access demand more time best wines need more time, so the Arras wines and the Sir James vintage labels are given four years to mature in these favourable conditions. It’s testimony to his persuasive powers and the regard with which he is held in BRL Hardy circles that on this occasion the accountants relented. The results are in the bottles. The inaugural Arras Chardonnay Pinot Noir 1995 made a stunning debut and set Carr his biggest challenge yet – how on earth to follow it up. While the virtues or not of sparkling red wines tend to divide the wine community, there’s no doubt whatsoever that Carr is one of the style’s most proficient craftsmen. With the Leasingham Classic Clare Sparkling Shiraz and the Sir James NV Sparkling Shiraz he’s managed to break Seppelt’s stranglehold on show trophies for this indigenous style of Australian wine. With several vintages now ‘in the can’, Carr is a committed evangelist for the wine and is working as hard as anyone to lift its overall credibility and image.
