2025 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Grenache Blanc

Barney Flanders hits a home run with this skin-contact alternative white, blending serious lees-aged texture with a salty, almond-edged crunch that is built for food.

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Description

Barney Flanders has a reputation for turning out some of the most compelling cool-climate gear on the Mornington Peninsula, but this little project shows he is just as clever when he steps outside his usual turf. The name literally means 'the apprentice', a nod to the fact that he is always experimenting and pushing his boundaries with varieties that aren't exactly common down his way.

This comes from a 'alt variety' hub of Heathcote, with a solid dose of skin contact and plenty of time on lees in neutral old wood, skipping any heavy fining or filtering to make sure the wine didn't lose its raw personality.

It completely rejects that clean, boring, stainless-steel white wine template. It pours a pale gold colour with a bit of real texture in the mouth, showing a waxy, pulpy core of baked pear, a bite of bitter almond skin, and a salty, rustic finish.

A fantastic, unforced food wine that values texture over simple fruit sweetness.

A stint at Ogier in CΓ΄te-RΓ΄tie left Barney Flanders with a lasting affinity for RhΓ΄ne Valley wines and, importantly, a thirst for Grenache in all its guises. After years of polite nagging, in 2024, Barney succeeded in securing a small parcel of Grenache Blanc from the Rathjen family in Colbinabbin, Heathcote. Ian and Lynne Rathjen are fourth-generation farmers and vignerons who have farmed their ancient Cambrian soils since the 1850s.

The vines face southeast and are now 10 years old, rooted in red dirt soils that lie over a layer of limestone. The Rathjens keep yields low across the board, so Barney’s parcel was just a couple of tonnes. As with all the Garagiste wines, the goal is to balance fine mouthfeel with freshness. To that end, the fruit was picked at 12-12.5% potential alcohol and pressed as bunches to seasoned 500-litre puncheons.

Though new to the variety, Barney has taken to Grenache Blanc like a duck to water. β€œI was constantly checking it to see how it was developing,” he told us, β€œIt’s really delicate and perfumed with lovely texture and salinity. It’s pretty cool.”

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Grenache Blanc
Country Australia
Region Heathcote
Australian State VIC
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure Screw Cap

Garagiste Wines

Garagiste is the project of Barnaby Flanders, one of the most respected names in Mornington Peninsula wine. Since launching in 2006, Flanders has focused on making serious, small-batch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that reflect the distinct sub-regions of the Peninsula.

He started out at Merricks Grove in 2000 and still sources from that vineyard today, alongside parcels from places like Tuerong, Balnarring and Main Ridge. Each site brings something different - whether it’s the sandy soils of the north or the higher, cooler slopes in the south - and Flanders leans into those differences rather than smoothing them out.

His approach is minimal but exacting. Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed, fermented with wild yeasts, and sees restrained oak. Pinot Noir is all about balance - picked for freshness, made with a light touch, and bottled without excess. The wines are clean, detailed, and built to age, but they’re also approachable from the outset.

Together with winemaker and business partner Cam Marshall, Flanders also makes the Le Stagiaire range - a more accessible price point that offers legitimately some of the best value Pinot Noir & Chardonnay in Australia that still carries the same regional clarity and intent. Across both labels, the focus is sharp: site expression, thoughtful farming, and no shortcuts. Garagiste remains one of the benchmark producers in Mornington. If you want to understand what makes this region special, this is a very good place to start.

Winemaker Barney Flanders Discover Garagiste Wines

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