HAVING recently tasted a few wines from LS Merchants, it was a no-brainer to accept an invitation to taste an extensive range with winemaker and owner, Dylan Arvidson.
Margaret River-based LS Merchants was founded in 2015 to follow Mr Arvidson’s vision of producing approachable wines designed to be delicious, engaging and fun while reflecting terroir, vintage and grower relationships.
The wine styles aimed to capture the diversity of Western Australia’s wine regions with a minimal-intervention philosophy. The focus is on thoughtfully farmed, expressive fruit, wild ferments where possible, and experimental techniques that push beyond traditional winemaking boundaries.
There is strong focus on texture, balance and individuality, and the result is a cluster of wines that sometimes sit slightly outside established WA norms but are closely aligned to region and vineyard.
Certain themes emerged during the tasting. Fruit concentration matters. Phenolics matter. Texture matters. And above all, wines should be interesting.
The marsanne roussanne grapes sourced from Pemberton reflect the approach by moving away from the typically rich, generous wines to those that are fresh with phenolic tension and vineyard character.
Skin contact, wild fermentation and maturation in large-format oak contribute layers of texture while preserving a bright core of pear, stone fruit and subtle savoury characters.
Perhaps the most fascinating white in the range is the chenin blanc. It represents a deliberate shift away from treating chenin as a surrogate chardonnay.
Components including skin-contact parcels, oxidative handling, egg fermentation and old oak maturation are assembled to create a wine that is saline, waxy, textural and complex.
That same pursuit of texture is evident throughout the white wine program.
A recently introduced premium rosé highlights this. Built primarily around pinot noir and tempranillo, the wine combines free-run juice, pressing fractions and ceramic egg fermentation to create a rosé with genuine palate weight and structure.
The red wines continue the same conversation.
Cabernet sauvignon remains firmly rooted in Margaret River, yet the approach favours elegance and texture over overt power. There is still cassis, graphite and regional character, but often delivered with a degree of refinement that recalls traditional European influences.
The exploration of shiraz provides perhaps the clearest example of LS Merchants’ curiosity. Working with fruit from Frankland River, separate bottlings from the Waldron and 470 clones allow the differences between the two to emerge with remarkable clarity, demonstrating how clone, site and winemaking can interact to create distinctly different expressions from the same vineyard.
If I were to choose one word to describe the LS Merchant wines it is ‘authentic’.
LS Merchant chenin blanc 2025 ($35)
This all comes from the old Treeton Estate, which is LS Merchants. Has a portion of handpicked and machine picked and 5 per cent on skins without plunging, with some treated oxidatively, some fermented in egg and some in tank and foudre. It’s a leaner style with freshness and vibrancy. Has good weight and texture with a spice and lively freshness. A good texture and treads the line between the South African and Australian styles. An interesting alternative. Has a slightly leafy menthol character, which lifts on the nose.
Score: 93/100
Cellar: Five years
LS Merchant Jolliffe Vineyard cabernet sauvignon 2023 ($115)
This comes from a dry-grown vineyard. Fermented in open-pot fermenters, hand plunged, and with an extended maceration to provide length and elegance with a fine tannin. Had eight months in oak, some in terracotta egg and some into ceramic. It also gets about 40 per cent new oak. This is a beautiful wine of poise, elegance and power, which at the same time drives effortlessly through to a long finish. Incredibly vibrant and alive with great energy and lift.
Score: 97/100
Cellar: 20 years
LS Merchant 470 shiraz 2024 ($75)
One of two shiraz from Frankland’s Swinney vineyard, with extended maceration allowing the tannins to lengthen, soften and ripen perfectly. Has a slightly spicy charcuterie character on the nose but with a distinctive fennel character, which is part of the clonal influence. It has energy and vibrancy with definition and detail. You should check out the Waldron Clone shiraz as well.
Score: 96/100
Cellar: 20 years
• Ray Jordan is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected wine journalists, contributing to newspapers and magazines over more than 40 years. In 2017 he co-authored The Way it Was: The History of the early years of the Margaret River Wine Region
