A Retreat to Penfolds

434. 2008 Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Semillon/Chardonnay (South East Australia)

Whoa, after all the postings that have been related to the Playhouse Wine Festival, hockey playoffs and special events, it's going to seem tame to just have a basic weeknight wine to write about. Not to downplay Penfolds or anything, but this is simply a have-at-home-on-any-evening kind of wine. We just thought it'd go with a corn and crab chowder.

The Penfolds website even refers to this brand as being "affordable, everyday, easy-drinking wine and is a classic Australian marriage of fruit power and structure." I think the first part of the sentence is perhaps the more memorable aspect of the wine.

The Semillon plays almost a 2/3's role in the blend and the grapes are sourced from throughout the South East wine regions of the country - which pretty much encompasses every region in the country.

It's not likely to become a summer, go-to white around our house. But, then, it's a $12 bottle of wine; so, I don't think one's expectations should be a whole lot more than a nice sip - and it's all that.