Saturday Night – Good Friday, Better Saturday – Part 1

It was my turn to host this past Saturday night’s dinner and the wines were the driving factor behind the food this week.  The evening turned into a big appetizer night just so I could pair the 3 wines I wanted to drink.

 

I had my last bottle of 2009 Robert Mondavi “To Kalon” Fumé Blanc on the rack and knew this needed to be drank soon.  So the first course Mick did spicy shrimp and I made the mint sauce to go with it.  We have reviewed this wine a number of times and it is the second highest rated white wine in the Zippy Sauce Top 10 Whites so I won’t be reviewing it detail.  It was very good and I’m very sad as that was my last bottle of this wonderful vintage.

The second course was a 2012 D’Arenberg “Hermit Crab” Viognier which I picked up on a recent trip to the LCBO.  We have tried earlier years of this wine but haven’t had it in a bit so I thought I’d be fun to see what the latest release was like.  I did hummus and pita and a tomato feta and basil salad to go with the wine.

The nose on the was fresh with aromas of Irish Spring soap, candy cane, lilies, sea breeze, artichoke and some tropical fruit in the background.  Tasting the wine, orange zest with a touch of celery were the main flavours to the wine.  The wine at times had a slight oily texture to it but could also come across as very dry depending on what foods you were having at the time.  The wine structure-wise came across big and smooth.  It was a very strong pairing with the hummus but was a little odd with the tomatoes and feta salad.   This wine was a real Chameleon at times as the nose, taste and mouth-feel were always changing to something new; if you like dissecting a wine you will love it, if you aren’t a fan of doing this you will probably not be a fan as that always changing nature could be something that turns people off.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 90, Kathy – 86, Amy – 87, Overall – 88.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

 

D'ARENBERG THE HERMIT CRAB VIOGNIER/MARSANNE 2012

 

VINTAGES 662775
750 mL bottle
Price $ 19.95
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: D'Arenberg Wines
Release Date: Mar 29, 2014
Wine, White Wine
13.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Viognier/Marsanne
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note - Winemaker Chester Osborn has a terrific reputation for his shiraz and cabernet wines, but this white blend of Viognier with 32% Marsanne is fantastic! Not a lot of oak, but it combines with the fruit vibrancy to create an intriguingly rich and delicious wine. Aromas of apricot and white flowers with a dash of spice on the finish. Perfect for light to medium spice dishes. Viognier Marsanne food pairings: lemongrass chicken. Score - 92. (Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com, December 9, 2013 )

 

Click here for Part 2