d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viogner Marsanne

d’Arenberg are one of the McLaren Vale’s most iconic producers. Heck, you don’t get invited to the table of Australia’s First Families Of Wine without being a bit important. They join legendary names like Henschke, Yalumba, Brown Brothers, Taylors, Tyrells and more.

This is their famous Hermit Crab label – a white blend of Viognier (vee-on-yay – 67%) and Marsanne (maa-san – 33%) and inspired by the white wines of France’s Rhone Valley. d’Arenberg have been producing this cool as little white blend for over 15 years now and well before many people outside of the Rhone Valley had tried this style.

But what’s with the name, Hermit Crab? Well many of the McLaren Vale’s vineyards are on are on free-draining soils underlain with limestone, formed by the remains of local marine fauna. That included one little creature in particular – the Hermit Crab! It’s a reclusive little crustacean that inhabits the cast-off shells of others.

Hermit is also an abbreviation for the French region ‘Hermitage’ – an area where the Marsanne grape is best known.

This is a wine with a solid reputation as a great value, medium bodied, soft, dry white. It’s loaded with fresh, juicy tropical fruit flavours (think melon, pineapple) with apricot and peach and honeydew and a bit of cinnamon spice and oh my goodness is your mouth watering yet?!

So get out of ‘yer shell and try something new!