Penfolds - Merlot

2011 Tasting Notes

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat wines present classic single varietal and varietal blends in an approachable, fresh-flavoured style for early enjoyment. Drawing on Penfolds extensive vineyard resources, the wines offer a first-rate quality and value guarantee, presenting the drinker with an affordable taste of everyday Australian wine at its best.

The name Rawson's Retreat is an informal reference to the stone cottage built in 1845 by Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold at the famous Magill vineyard in Adelaide, where he, with wife Mary and daughter Georgina, had settled the year before and were to establish the Penfolds winery which still operates today.

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Vibrancy and varietal character are rare in merlot at this price, but a wide range of viticultural sources from across southeast Australia ensure this wine has it in spades.

Rawson’s Retreat Merlot is the epitome of an everyday red.

Merlot is one of the world’s classic grape varieties. Often used as a blending component with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and malbec in the famous Bordeaux wines, recently merlot has gained in stature as a stand alone variety, applauded for its generosity of fruit, softness of tannin and immediate approachability.

Rawson’s Retreat Merlot has delicious red and black berry fruit characteristics with lifted herbal and floral notes, all supported by subtle cedary oak. This delightful wine is best matched to pasta with tomato-based sauces or other Mediterranean inspired dishes.