2009 D'Arenberg Hermit Crab Marsanne/Viognier

Wine Spectator
"90 pts ... 'Smart Buy' Very pretty, with floral, passionfruit and pineapple aromas and flavors up front, settling into a nice apricot silkiness on the finish."

Winemaker's Notes
"The nose is generous and expressive with apricot, peach and pear in abundance. Further inspection uncovers more subtle characters of honeysuckle and orange blossom. The palate is full bodied, tight and lively, striking a good balance of weight and acidity. Luscious stone fruit, citrus and melon make way for ginger and spice with the Marsanne component adding a touch of pine nut complexity. Soft powdery tannins provide for a long finish with aromatic spice characters lingering."

Technical Notes
"72% Viognier/28% Marsanne. 2008 was a fabulous vintage for white wines in McLaren Vale due to sufficient winter rains and cool conditions for most of the ripening period. During vintage, Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, chooses when to pick the fruit by walking the vineyard rows and tasting grapes. The Viognier and Marsanne components received similar treatment, but were not blended until the final stages of the winemaking process. The grapes were passed through the gentle Demoisy rubber toothed crusher before being basket pressed. The fermentation was long and moderately cool to retain fresh fruit characters. A small percentage of the Viognier was fermented in aged French and American Oak to add mouth feel and support the Viognier tannins. 4% matured in 5 yr and older French and American barriques. Acid 6.1g/L; p.H. 3.38 res sugar 4.6 g/L"