Wine: Ram’s Leap: Merlot

New South Wales

New South Wales was the first State in Australia to be colonised by Europeans and subsequently was the first to grow the grapevine (there are no native vitis species in Australia). The State, lying on the continent’s east coast, boasts an incredibly diverse range of climates from coastal, such as the Shoalhaven Coast region lying south of Sydney, to Alpine, across the top of the Great Dividing Range, where hardy growers persist at over 500m above sea level. West of the Great Dividing Range and along the inland flowing Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers are the warm-climate regions of Riverina and Perricoota and the northern portion of the Swan Hill and Murray Darling. One of Australia’s best known wine zones – the Hunter Valley – is in New South Wales.

Ram’s Leap

Ram’s Leap is considered the McLaughlin family’s core brand. It is more contemporary in look and approachable in style, but just as serious when it comes to winemaking. Organic techniques are exercised in the vineyard, including the use of natural fertilizer from the sheep farm & straw from the wheat crops. The wine in turn, generates great intensity and complexity from the low yields (2 tonnes/acre) and a healthy balanced mesoclimate in the vineyard. The Flagship wine for the family is the Ram’s Leap Shiraz displaying an unique intensity of style. The soil and climate are idyllic for the Southern French
varietals planted. The course sandy alluvial soils deposited there by the Duck Creek 2000 years ago and long ripening days create an ideal setting to construct full bodied wines with a unique outback terroir.

Always the last red to be harvested, the merlot seems to take its time, optimizing the long ripening days before harvest. The small berries and late harvest date contribute to the low yields of 2 tonnes/acre. To maximize flavor concentration the must is left on skins for an extended period (14 days) and then further development in 2-3 year old French & American oak hogs heads for 12 months.

• All