[ Home > Wines > Red Wines > Merlot > Australia - Merlot > Australia - Merlot > Lindemans Merlot Bin 40 ]
History: Multi-regional blending is part of our tradition. In the late 1950's, Lindemans began producing premium quality wines with fruit from regions throughout Southeast Australia. This concept is critical to the quality of our Bin Series wines. Variations in climate and soil enable each of Australia's growing regions to provide distinct flavor characteristics to the grapes. Each year we select the finest fruit from these areas to produce full flavored wines that are consistently high in quality. Appellation: South Australia with most of the grapes for the 1996 Bin 40 Merlot from Bordertown, a new area about 50 miles northeast of the Padthaway region with similar terrain and soil but a slightly warmer climate. Coonawarra fruit also played a significant role in the final 1996 Bin 40 blend. Harvest: The wine regions of Southeast Australia experienced below normal rainfall during the growing season which probably contributed to a somewhat early harvest. A warm summer led to grapes coming in sound with good maturity and ripe flavor profiles. Winemaking: The Merlot juice was pressed off between 2 and 3 degrees Brix, before going dry, and finished fermentation off the skins. This technique produces soft, supple red wines that are immediately approachable. The wine was aged 10 months in French and American oak barrels to obtain added complexity and vanilla oak character. Winemaker Tasting Notes: Bin 40 Merlot is an ideal example of the Lindemans Bin Series style -- flavorful wines easy to enjoy at release. Rich, brick red in color, the 1996 Bin 40 Merlot is full of plummy, ripe berry aromas with hints of vanilla oak in the background. Medium body in weight, the wine's soft plummy fruit comes through on the palate and well-integrated oak contribute to the wine's structure. The combination of ripe, fruit balanced by smooth, approachable tannins gives the wine a mocha-coffee like character. The wine is well balanced with a lingering finish of berry flavors. Phillip John Winemaker Wine Analysis: Alcohol 13.0% Total Acidity 6.0 g/l pH 3.43 |
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