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Date Printed: 5/18/2013
d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2009
d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2009
 (search item no. 97627)
screw cap wine
has video
green wine

Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
Wine & Spirits rating: 90 points
PRICE ON 5/18/2013: $15.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2011 International Wine Cellar rating: 88 points
2010 Decanter rating: 90 points
2008 International Wine Cellar rating: 89 points
2008 Wine Spectator rating: 88 points
2008 The Wine Advocate rating: 88 points
2007 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
2007 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2006 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
2005 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2004 Australian Wine Companion rating: 89 points
2003 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
2002 The Wine Advocate rating: 89 points

Winemaker's Notes:
The nose is expressive and rich with orange peel, candied ginger, apricot, and citrus notes. The Marsanne shows itself in the peach and nutty complexity which is married nicely with an appealing straw like vegetal character. The palate has a lovely balance of sweetness, palate weight, and acidity. Lemon and lime characters are prominent on the palate with a lively granny smith apple acidity providing great focus. With some bottle age the stone fruit notes become more prominent with less emphasis on the citrus spectrum.

Blend: 72% Viognier and 28% Marsanne
My Notes:

Additional wines from d'Arenberg:

About d'Arenberg:

 One of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and Rhone varietals, d'Arenberg has managed to turn individuality into an art form by doing a whole lot of little things differently. The original vineyards were established by Joseph Osborn in 1912 in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. A century on, the estate has grown to 345 acres, and the mantle now rests with fourth-generation winemaker, Chester Osborn. By maintaining a focus on traditional winemaking and nurturing their old-vine material, the Osborn clan has successfully established themselves as one of the country's leading producers of concentrated wines that are full of character.