D’arenberg Marsanne Viognier Hermit Crab

”The Name 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. The Vintage The season began well with average winter rainfall Summer conditions were significantly warmer than average with two heatwaves through January testing the limits of the vines. Following the heatwave was rain and cool weather which helped slow down ripening and allowed flavour development to catch up to sugar ripeness. White wines from this vintage are fruity and very flavoursome as are reds with ample tannin to match. The Winemaking Small batches of grapes are crushed gent