Description
Garagiste is definitely one of Mornington Peninsula’s brightest rising stars! Named in honour of the ‘Garagiste’ – ‘garage’ vintners of Bordeaux who thumbed their nose at the rigid traditions of chateaux, winemaker Barney Flanders makes succulent, finely tuned and elegantly crafted cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris,highlighting the subtleties of the Peninsula’s different sub-regions with small batches of very limited and high quality wines. Fruit is sourced from highly prized Merricks Grove vineyard, Silverwood vineyard (Balnarring) and Hugh Robinson vineyard in Moorooduc. Since their first release in 2006 their wines are highly sought after, highly regarded and like their labels, very cool!
Anyone with even a passing interest in cool-climate Australia will already know that Garagiste is one of the Mornington Peninsula’s brightest rising stars. Of the Stagiaire Chardonnay, Campbell Mattinson has written, “Every year it’s one of the best quality/value propositions on the market”. It’s worth pointing out that, as for the Pinot Noir, Barney Flanders doesn’t make this Chardonnay specifically for the Stagiaire label. All his ferments start as potential single-vineyard wines. Those that end up as single-site wines are barrel selections, and the remaining wines are bottled as Le Stagiaire. This gives us some idea of how this label is able over-deliver year-in, year-out.
Merricks North forms the backbone of the 2023 release, weighing in at 45% of the blend, followed by Balnarring (35%) and Tuerong (20%). The fruit was sorted in the vineyard and winery before being pressed as whole bunches directly to 500-litre puncheons. The fruit fermented with indigenous yeast with no temperature control, followed by a seven-month maturation on gross lees to build richness slowly. A couple of barrels went through malolactic conversion, and the nicely integrated new oak component stands at 15%.
In the words of Barney, the 2023 is “just as delicious as the 2022. There’s a touch more freshness due to the cooler season, but overall, there’s a great balance between fruit weight and structure.” The hallmarks of the season—freshness, finesse and potent flavour—are clear and crystal in the glass. Teeming with citrus, flowers and stone fruits, and balanced by round texture and snappy acidity, there’s linear drive and a savoury, salty close. It’s a smashing release, on equal footing with the brilliant 2022. At a time when we are calling out for great value, this wine delivers in spades.
New release … Reviews for 2022 – 95 points, Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion “Year in, year out this is the best value chardy from the peninsula because of the quality, not simply the price. Refreshing citrus and white stone fruit, lovely palate weight, textural and even. The acidity leads everything to finish long. Nice one. Again.”
RRP $39 Our Special Price $29.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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