Two Rhône Grapes Walk into Australia…
- hermit crabs, mclaren vale, seafood cakes, viognier & marsanne blend and more
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A few weeks ago, while having seafood cake night, we needed an influx of wine as the first bottle’s fill line dropped. I headed to the wine cooler and found today’s featured wine there. Its brightness and freshness struck me! It paired so well with the richness of the seafood cakes on our plates. The citrus notes, including the slight pithiness of grapefruit, were such a fun contrast to the creamy flavours of the seafood. So I bought another bottle to conduct further analysis. I would not want to lead my readers astray after all. I have a HUGE responsibility!!
Okay, enough with the mystery what is the wine already! There is building suspense and interest, and then there is being a tease…
d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne blend 2024 from McLaren Vale, in South Australia (see map).
Interesting that Viognier and Marsanne are from Rhône per your headline!
Hermit Crab is a funny name for a wine – must be a story behind it?
Geologically speaking, the McLaren Vale vineyard soils contain remnants of an old seabed which includes critters’ remains like the Hermit Crab. According to the Cambridge dictionary a hermit crab is:
a type of crab with a soft abdomen that lives inside a shell left by another sea creature. As a hermit crab grows it must change shells regularly to accommodate its larger body.
Coincidentally, in the Rhône Valley there is a famous hill named Hermitage which has been associated with winemaking since Greco-Roman times. This hill is part of a Northern Rhône wine subregion of the same name that makes top-quality reds made from Syrah, and whites made from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes.
Its name comes from, as you already guessed, the word hermit – specifically the legend of a 12th or 13th century crusader named Henri Gaspard de Stérimberg, who after his return from duty retreated from the world and became “a hermit”. He was granted permission to build a chapel on the hill by Blanche of Castille, the Queen of France. He lived there for 30 years until his death.
Is that the chapel shown on the headline photo?
You betcha!
Ironically Viognier, which is the dominant portion of the Hermit Crab blend, is not allowed in the Hermitage subregion.
Insignificant!
Agreed! I love the playfulness of the name!
This little number punches way above its price.
Fourth generation winemaker Chester Osborn is the mastermind behind many of d’Arenberg‘s current philosophies and concepts. Known for his long hair and flashy clothing, Chester sounds like a card.
One of these concepts was to introduce many grape varieties that some say may not “belong” in McLaren Vale.
But who is to say that? What if he finds the perfect plot – what if he figures out the perfect grape picking window – all in the spirit of making a great bottle of wine at a great price just for us? Like this week’s featured wine.
To take a step back, the 3 grape varieties that McLaren Vale is known for are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache. Whites are not really on the radar other than some easy-drinking Chardonnay.
Well Grenache and Shiraz (aka Syrah in France) are both from Rhône grapes. So why would Viognier and Marsanne not belong in McLaren Vale?
It is believed that it is too warm there for these varieties – but I think this man knows what he is doing!
The proof is in the glass!
The other concept that Chester brought about is that all grapes are pressed with a basket press. Whether an entry level wine like the Hermit Crab wine or d’Arenberg’s higher end wines, all grapes go through a basket press.
You’ve never talked about presses before.
True.
Pressing in winemaking separates the juice from the grape’s “solids” which include skins, seeds, and stems (if the bunches did not undergo destemming beforehand). For red wines, the grapes are pressed after fermentation. This is to allow colour and tannins from the grape solids to be extracted, and that happens better when there is alcohol in the mix.
…and there is no alcohol without fermentation!
Bingo!
But in white winemaking no significant colour or tannins are desired, so the grapes are pressed at the beginning of the winemaking process before fermentation is allowed to start. (Note that the colour and slight tannin in orange wines comes from white grape solids, using similar methods to red winemaking).
Throughout time various press designs have been used. These have been found in various parts of the world providing evidence of winemaking history globally. The basket press goes back to the Middle Ages and is still in use today. Back then they were almost entirely made of wood. These days there are many metal components and various mechanical components to replace the entirely manual pressing of the Middle Ages.
What is the reason that Chester uses basket presses?
As stated on the d’Arenberg website, they believe that every vineyard has a personality. It is their philosophy that the basket presses allow this personality to show through. They believe that these time-honoured traditions should remain as part of the modern winemaking process. In fact, their reds are even foot trod two thirds through the fermentation.
Oh wow, that is traditional.
It is not uncommon for high quality producers to use basket presses, also known as vertical or Champagne presses. When we worked in a winery in Priorat in the fall of 2024 we pressed very small batches of grapes. As you can see in the photographs a flat horizontal disk gently puts pressure on the vertical “basket” of grapes, allowing the juice to run through the wooden slats and eventually into a tray below. Basket presses are believed to be gentler on the grapes and also typically allow for the smaller batches which d’Arenberg pride themselves on.
See the video of us pressing red wine at Gratavinum winery in Priorat, Spain.
Wow – so much care and attention, even for entry level wines. No wonder it is so delicious.
Exactly! It is so satisfying to find little treasures like this one to share with you all!
Scroll down to learn more about the featured wine.
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d’Arenberg ‘The Hermit Crab’ Viognier Marsanne 2024, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Style: Moderately full body white wine
Variety(ies): Viognier and Marsanne
This fresh, bright, and expressive wine has a pronounced nose of lime, mandarin, lemon, and grapefruit along with unripe nectarine, white peach, cream, yogurt, ginger, wet stone, and a hint of pencil shaving. It’s on the lighter side of full bodied, has the slightest grip, and a persistent finish.
Best pairings: Ricotta ravioli with sage butter, Crab cakes with lemon aioli, Chicken in a light cream sauce, Grilled halibut with lemon butter, Seared scallops, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, Cheeses: Triple-cream Brie, Young Comté, and Mild washed-rind cheeses
Serving Temperature: 6-8 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: This wine needs a little nudge to open up. Worth pouring in a decanter prior to pouring in your glass.
Price: ~$23 Cdn
Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling
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LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:
SOURCES:
Australian Wine, no date. McLaren Vale wine region. [online] Available at: https://www.australianwine.com/our-places/south-australia/mclaren-vale-wine-region [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Cambridge Dictionary, no date. Hermit crab. [online] Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hermit-crab [Accessed 23 July 2026].
d’Arenberg, no date. 2025 The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/2025-the-hermit-crab-viognier-marsanne [Accessed 23 July 2026].
d’Arenberg, no date. The story. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/the-story/ [Accessed 23 July 2026].
d’Arenberg, no date. Viticulture and winemaking. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/viticulture-and-winemaking/ [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jancis Robinson, 2025. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde: Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Shades of Grape, no date. About South Australian Shiraz. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/about-south-australian-shiraz [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Vins Rhône, no date. Côtes du Rhône Cru AOC Hermitage. [online] Available at: https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-hermitage [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Wine Australia, no date. McLaren Vale. [online] Available at: https://www.wineaustralia.com/labelling/register-of-protected-gis-and-other-terms/geographical-indications/mclaren-vale [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Wine Australia, no date. McLaren Vale Consumer Guide (PDF). [online] Available at: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/c28c6566-725d-0048-c076-bd0fa28fb4a9/64bbb89b-bfee-4d39-a697-39ee3936c9ed/AWD_McLarenVale_ConsumerGuide.pdf [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Wine-Searcher, no date. d’Arenberg. [online] Available at: https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/17341-d-arenberg [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Wine Anorak, no date. d’Arenberg with Chester and his Cube. [online] Available at: https://www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/australia/darenberg-with-chester-and-his-cube [Accessed 23 July 2026].
Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World – An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Australia is doing some amazing things with Rhône varieties outside Syrah. Thanks for highlighting the d’Arenberg!