Friday, January 18, 2008

d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne 2006

Price: $15.99 @ Gary's Liquors (West Roxbury, MA)
Recommended by: Wine Spectator (90 points)
Comments: Frickin' Almond Husks. That's right. Almond husks. Who the hell knows what almond husks taste like??? I'll tell you who. A pretentious idiot whose opinion about wine you definately do not want to trust. And yet, it's the winemaker that lists among this wine's flavors . . . almond husks. Also (and not surprisingly), the winemaker finds an array of tropical fruits with quince, ginger, and lees. Speaking of which, what the hell does a lee taste like? Denim? But nevermind, we're here to review a wine. And it's a good one, although we're not sure it deserves its place in the top 100 wines of 2007 by Wine Spectator. Although we didn't note almond husk, we did enjoy its pear and grapefruit flavors. The smell is "minerally" apparently, although Rob isn't sure it doesn't have a faint scent of cat pee (but in a good way!). The finish is fairly long and buttery, and a tad bitter, but also in a good way. We would get this one again but we're not sure it's worth the price when some really fantastic Sauvignon Blancs cost less and would pair equally well with similar food (seafood, particularly shellfish).
Rating: 6.75/10