Penfolds - Semillon Chardonnay

2011 Tasting Notes

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat wines present classic single varietal and varietal blends in an approachable, fresh-flavoured style. Drawing on Penfolds' extensive vineyard resource, 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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Rawsons Retreat Semillon Chardonnay revels in its fresh melon and citrus aromas, fine creamy palate and gently persistent length.

Sourced from select grape growing regions across southeast Australia, this wine is an excellent example of the sum of the parts equalling greater than the whole. The grapes for this wine are harvested in the cool of the night to protect the fresh, delicate fruit characteristics. The fruit is then handled gently in the winery, with minimal winemaking interference. A short time with oak adds further complexity without compromising the wine’s overall freshness.

Rawson’s Retreat Semillon Chardonnay shows delicious herbal and citrus notes from the Semillon, matched with tropical fruit characters from the chardonnay – all supported by subtle spicy oak. This wine is an early drinking, always approachable style that works equally well as an aperitif or at the table with seafood or vegetable dishes. It’s the ideal summer standby.