d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2011
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Winemaker Notes
The palate is slightly more restrained than what we would normally associate with McLaren Vale Viognier and Marsanne and again those crunchy, white stone fruit characters are at the fore. An exotic pistachio, green almond character (thank you Marsanne), draws the wine back in, leading to a long savoury and mineral finish. Not a hint of fatness.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
This winery’s story began in 1912 and its red stripe label is as distinctive as the flamboyant, fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn. There’s great intensity of elegant aromas and flavours here, with a zesty blend of lime, apple and apricot fruit, plus a long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and lively, with a definite spicy edge to the pear and pineapple flavors, lingering with a hint of apricot on the open finish.
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Wine & Spirits
Chester Osborn named this blend for the creatures on the beaches of McLaren Vale where he likes to drink it. And it tastes like the beach, combining the heat of McLaren Vale with spice and salt, the pungent citrus scent of viognier tamed by the nuttiness of marsanne. It tastes like it would get along with critters from the sea, particularly crab.
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d'Arenberg is one of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and other Rhone varieties that have historically defined the region. A century on, their vineyards have grown to some 450 acres in McLaren Vale, including Shiraz dating back to d'Arenberg's first plantings in 1912, and nearly one-third of McLaren Vale's old bush-vine Grenache. Fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, recently converted all of the family's vineyards to organics and biodynamics and moved to solar energy in the winery. All the while, in terms of winemaking, not much has changed--all the wines are basket-pressed, the reds foot-trodden during fermentation; everything is done in small batches, leading to an impressive array of bottlings every year, each showing a different facet of McLaren Vale terroir. Having been inducted into Wine & Spirits Magazine's Hall of Fame for earning a place on its Top 100 Wineries nine times, this accolade is a reflection of d'Arenberg's revered reputation worldwide.