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d'Arenberg 'The Hermit Crab' Marsanne Viognier 2010
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The nose is surprisingly floral and more subtle than previous vintages. The characteristic stone fruits of apricot, peach and nectarine are ever present with sweet spice nuances.
The palate has lovely fruit weight and is packed with complexity. It opens with stone fruits and citrus and is underpinned by candied ginger and clove spice. The palate builds nicely with a linear citrus acidity running throughout. The flavours linger with a savoury edge of pistachio nut and a twist of flowery fruit tannins adding textural interest.
During vintage, Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, chooses when to pick the fruit by walking the vineyard rows and tasting grapes. The grapes were passed through the gentle rubber toothed crusher before being basket pressed.
Fermentation was long and moderately cool to retain fresh fruit characters. About 6% underwent wild fermentation for extra complexity. 14% of the Viognier was fermented in aged French and American Oak to add mouth feel and support the subtle Viognier tannins. The Viognier and Marsanne components received similar treatment, but were not blended until the final stages of the winemaking process.
Good winter rains ensured adequate sub-soil moisture and set vines up well with healthy canopies. There was un-seasonably hot weather during flowering, but this did not affect fruit setting and vigour was beautifully balanced. There was some more heat during veraison which serves vines well. The rest of the season was mild with nights mild to cool with very little rain. It was another early start to vintage. Both red and whites from 2010 show strong varietal characters.
Many of McLaren Vale’s vineyards are on free-draining soils underlain with limestone, formed by the calcareous remains of the local marine fauna. One such creature was the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that inhabits the cast-off shells of others. The Osborn family thought the name appropriate for this, McLaren Vale’s first ever blend of Viognier and Marsanne. “Hermit” is also an abbreviation for the French appellation of Hermitage, where the Marsanne grape variety dominates.
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WBW Rating: 92/100
Closure: Stelvin
Region: McLaren Vale SA |
Winemaker: Chester d’Arenberg Osborn
Drink now until: 2017
Alc/Vol: 13.1 %
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