What is it?:

Ultimate Merino® is a sign of quality that identifies the special wool produced by the Red Ovis XXI producers of South America, mainly in Patagonia. This is a fabric that - due to its fine quality, shine and softness - resembles such precious fibers as cashmere and alpaca.
Beyond its intrinsic quality, Ultimate Merino® reaches consumers with the support of a productive process which is founded in several values, such as environmental protection, well being of animals and development of the people and organizations that are part of the entire value chain.

Ultimate Merino® is a natural fiber, originated from the sustainable utilization of the Patagonian ecosystem. It displays the most advanced expression of the sheep farming tradition with centuries of history and multiple generations of regional pioneers.

Properties:

It is a natural fiber originated from renewable resources. As all woolen fibers, it has a cut of proteins covered by hard impermeable layers on the exterior. Wool is a natural means of protection. Its isolating capacity enables the sheep to survive the most extreme of conditions of the Patagonian winter. It has been used by the humanity since the Stone Age, both in the coldest and the hottest climates of the planet. Despite of arduous technological investments, its properties are not capable of imitations by other natural or synthetic textiles.
  • Has high capacity of thermic isolation, even when wet. This makes Ultimate Merino insuperable in extreme cold and hot weather.

  • Maintains the skin dry due to its great capacity of transferring transpiration to the exterior through the textures.

  • The wool tends to repel water. If humidity transfers through the layers, the cortex absorbs it with high hygroscopicity. Similarly, while cotton absorbs only 5% of its weight in humidity before becoming wet, wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water before it feels wet..

  • Odorless. Wool distinguishes itself from other textiles due to its resistance against uncomfortable odors.

  • Fire resistant. Wool does not burn, and it carbonizes against the skin without melting. This differentiates wool from other fabrics that can generate serious injuries in case of burns.

In addition to these properties, which are common to all wools, Ultimate Merino distinguishes itself from the generic wools due to the following :


  • Greater softness and no itching. Ultimate Merino is softer than traditional wools, as it has long and flat scales and less than 1% of all fibers is over 30 microns ("the comfort factor"). Ultimate Merino can be used comfortably next to the skin. Itch is the most common reason why consumers hesitate to using wool. It is produced in the presence of thicker fibres (more than 30 microns) and short and protruding scales.

  • Lightweight fabrics. The atributes of the fiber (greater finesse, optimum length, homogeneous diameter, wide curls) enable creation of high quality thread, which in turn, can be used to obtain textures and clothes of light qualities.

  • Elastic fabrics. The natural elasticity of the wool protein is increased by the ample and profound curl of the Ultimate Merino. This property allows the textures to recover their original form after being stretched, and enables the fabrication of underwear and sports clothes for people who have a very active life.

  • Firm and bright colors. Ultimate Merino is a brilliant fiber due to its cylindric form and long and flat scales. This brightness can be observed in the classification table during shearing, and it is preserved in the final cloth. As well, Ultimate Merino has greater affinity due to the traditional dying of the wool, leading to more permanent and lively colors.

Ultimate Merino ‘s structure is similar to that of cashmere’s, and deviates from traditional wool due to its cylindric fibers, flat and long scales, just like cashmere. Fibers grow highly aligned granting a streak-free fleece structure characterized by how the fibers are group.


Attribute Traditional thin wool Ultimate Merino®
Form of fibers Cylindric + elliptic > 90% cylindric
Form and height of scales Short and rough Long and flat
Shine Opaque Shiny
Attribute Traditional thin wool Ultimate Merino
Finesse (microns) 15- 20,5 microns 15- 20,5 microns

Length of fiber

Annual growth (mm/year)

 70-90 mm 90-150 mm
% diameter CV > 20% 13-20%
Von Dungen - Ultimate

How to get it?

The Ultimate Merino® fiber originates from a network of sheep producers, which is unique in its South American setting, reaching over 100 establishments in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. It is the result of a strong innovation process that uses advanced genetics developed in Australia and new biological knowledge on sheep skin. An Australian biotype called Multi Purpose Merinos ( www.mpmsudamerica.com ) (MPM®) is used. They treat animals that are wild, easy maintenance, completely wrinkle-free: they are capable of producing both special wools and high-quality meat simultaneously.

To optimize results, genetic knowledge is applied as a part of an Improvement Plan done by accredited classifiers, where animals and their breed are selected according to the Improvement System Ovis XXI. The System is based on natural procedures and does not include artificial manipulation of the sheep’s genome. ( www.ovis21.com )


Von Dungen - Ultimate
As crosses with MPM® are performed and progenies are selected with the Improvement System Ovis XXI, animals bearing Ultimate Merino® fleece begin to appear. An accredited wool classifier scans the produce, fleece by fleece, during shearing identifying special wools in three categories: Ultimate Merino®, Premium and Supra - Ultimate Merino being the best. A Quality Assurance System provided by Ovis XXI enables full traceability of wool batches.

 


Only a small percentage of the flocks’ fleece in the Network reaches the high quality standards of these three categories. Ultimate Merino SA. acquires this special wool from the Network, produces clothes and commercializes them through Von & Dungen and other first class brands.

LANAS ESPECIALES ULTIMATE MERINO

  Shine Streak Size Uniformity Softness Resistance Processing
ULTIMATE ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
PREMIUM +++ +++ +++ / ++ ++++ ++++ +++
SUPRA ++ / - ++ / - + / - +++ ++++ ++

Animal Welfare And Environmental Values

Ultimate Merino® is produced by breeders who are committed to maintaining and optimizing the use of natural resources: soil, water, flora and fauna.


In Patagonia, the producers evaluate and plan annually how they will use pastureland in order to keep it healthy and prevent desertification. Their objective is to maintain biodiversity in addition to improving healthy cycles of water, nutrients and energy. Ovis XXI Network is the leader in sustainable pastureland management in Patagonia, managing 800.000 hectares every year with their team of highly committed producers and specialized technical people.


Von Dungen - Ultimate

Flocks from which Ultimate Merino® is obtained are bred outdoors in pastoral systems without confinement. Their feeding is based on native pastures. No antibiotics, hormones or any kinds of growth enhancers are used in the process. Only the best common practices are implemented, reducing animal stress to the minimum.


Ultimate Merino® fiber is characterized by a finesse that originates from animal genetics. It is not the result of chronic nutritional restriction of animals.


Ultimate Merino is: Natural. Biodegradable. Breathable. Odor Neutralizer. Ultra soft. Thermal. Fire resistant. Naturally stretchy. UV Ray Protector (High UV Protection). Dry fit, not as fast as synthetic fibers but it’s the fastest drying natural fiber. Keeps warmth when wet.