2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir

One of the country's best value Pinot Noirs from Mornington Peninsula legend, Barney Flanders.
4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
32 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$32.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Barney Flanders loves Pinot Noir, and every release of the value-packed Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir seems to out do the previous one. It has been one of the most popular wines in Different Drop history.

Winemaker Barney Flanders, known for his dedication to Pinot, blends fruit from several of his top vineyards, with Merricks North’s 30-year-old Dijon clones adding plushness and floral lift to the structured MV6 clones from Balnarring, Red Hill, and Merricks Grove.

Crafted with a gentle touch, this wine goes through wild fermentation with minimal whole bunches, 21 days on skins, and careful ageing in concrete, large foudre, and old oak barrels. It’s bottled unfined and unfiltered, keeping every bit of its savoury complexity and purity intact. The result is a beautifully balanced Pinot, layered with red berries, spice, and an earthy edge, all tied together by a refreshing mineral streak.

Simply put this wine represents the essence of Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Value for money wise, this is an Australian Pinot Noir star.

94 points
"Spicy, perfumed, complex. It has plenty of structure, juicy cherry flavour, bright but balanced acidity, and excellent length. A short note for an impressive wine. What else do you need to know? Oh, yes, it drinks a charm."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points - "Spicy, perfumed, complex. It has plenty of structure, juicy cherry flavour, bright but balanced acidity, and excellent length. A short note for an impressive wine. What else do you need to know? Oh, yes, it drinks a charm." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
Based on 32 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 22 Total 4 star reviews: 8 Total 3 star reviews: 2 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
32 reviews
  • EM
    Emile M.
    Verified Buyer
    4 months ago
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great!

    Honestly really enjoyed this pinot noir and would come back for more.

  • WP
    Wayne P.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    6 months ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great value Mornington Pinot

    Classic Mornington Pinot at a great price point

  • SD
    Simone D.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Beginner
    7 months ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Beginner
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Delicious

    His Pinot is my absolute favourite, had it years ago & recently rediscovered it. It’s so easy to drink & compliments Italian food perfectly!

Reviews LoadedReviews Added

Garagiste’s new Merricks North ‘fermage’, home to 30-year Dijon clones, plays a starring role in this year’s Stagiaire blend, accounting for 40%. The balance comprises fruit from Barney’s Balnarring (44%), Red Hill (10%) and Merricks Grove (6%) sites. Balnarring, Red Hill and Merricks Grove are all MV6 clone, whereas Merricks North brings Dijon 114 and 115 into the mix, lending pretty plushness and perfumed nuance to the MV6’s natural structure and power.

After sorting in the vineyard and winery, spontaneous fermentations took place in concrete and stainless steel with whole berries complemented by a 5% bunch component. The fruit spent 21 days on skins, with gentle pumpovers and a small amount of plunging towards the end. The wine matured on its lees in 300-litre hogsheads for seven months, with just 5% new oak. Bottled without fining or filtration, this is quintessential grower Mornington Pinot, bright and perfumed, with red berries, spice and some earthy depth allied to juicy weight, a powerful core and a subtle but refreshing mineral line. Simply outstanding personality.

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type Red
Body Light Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country Australia
Region Mornington Peninsula
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Critic Score 94
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

Garagiste Wines

The Garagiste wines by Barnaby Flanders are a masterclass in small-batch excellence from Mornington Peninsula. Driven by a passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Flanders delves into the peninsula’s sub-regions, harnessing subtle variations in soil and aspect to craft wines of remarkable character.

Since launching in 2006, Garagiste has become a Victorian standout, celebrated for single-site, sub-regional expressions. From Tuerong’s sandy soils to Main Ridge’s rich volcanic earth, Flanders sources responsibly farmed parcels to shape his distinctive wines.

Central to the Garagiste story is Merricks Grove vineyard, where Flanders’ winemaking journey began in 2000. His hands-on approach ensures every detail, from vineyard management to cellar work, delivers wines of precision and nuance. The philosophy is all about balance: picking for acidity, whole bunch pressing for Chardonnay, and natural ferments with restrained oak use. The result? Elegant, complex wines that rank among the peninsula’s finest.

Together with partner Cam, Flanders produces both Garagiste’s cool-climate flagship wines and the superb-value Le Stagiaire range. Whether it’s their textured Pinots or taut Chardonnays, these wines embody the craftsmanship of one of Mornington’s best.

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For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

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