2025 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
2025 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir

2025 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir

93 pts
Garagiste |Mornington Peninsula |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
37 Reviews
Price:
$35.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Every year, Barney Flanders takes a selection of some of his favourite Pinot parcels from his Mornington sites - Balnarring, Red Hill, Merricks Grove and now Merricks North - and throws down a Pinot that makes the rest of the $35ish crowd in the region look a bit undercooked.

Merricks North leads the blend this year, with plush, perfumed Dijon clones lifting the deep, structural MV6 from the other sites. Whole berries, wild ferments, a short spell on skins, then time in large oak and concrete before bottling it with no fining and no filtering.

It’s got a real Mornington weight and presence to it. Ripe red fruits, a flicker of spice, and a smooth ride of tannin through the finish. When we tasted the 2025, we commented that it feels like Barney's pulled back on the structure and upped the slurpability in this release. It's hard to picture a better value entry into Mornington Pinot than this little beauty.

This is one of our most popular wines every year. How Barney manages to get this quality at this price point never ceases to amaze us but we're glad he does and hope he never stops!

Gary Walsh

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front 93 Points

I believe this is only recently bottled, though I’m used to that. There’s something of a cru Beaujolais character to this wine, which is likely a strange thing to say, though that’s kind of how it presents. 5% new oak. 5% whole bunch.

Juicy, red fruits, spice, potpourri, roast peanuts. It’s medium-bodied, plenty of energy here, crisp cool acidity, light emery board tannin, a pop to cherry and red fruits, some cola nut and dried herb, a slight smokiness, with a spicy orange zest finish of excellent length. Very good drinking here. Likely better with a little more time in bottle.

Customer Reviews

4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
Based on 37 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 23 Total 4 star reviews: 12 Total 3 star reviews: 2 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
37 reviews
  • CH
    Chantalle H.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Delicious

    Such an epic wine, soft robust I loved it.

    Was this helpful?
  • OW
    Oliver W.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Decent pinot, needed time

    Tasty pinot considering its price point. Was better after the bottle had been open 24 hours, so given it some time to open up.

    Was this helpful?
  • AM
    Ash M.
    Verified Buyer
    6 months ago
    Reviewing
    2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir

    A lovely Pinot, not too light not too heavy for it's variety. Very easily drinkable.

    Was this helpful?
Show More

Garagiste’s new Merricks North ‘fermage’, home to 30-year Dijon clones, plays a starring role in this year’s Stagiaire blend, accounting for 42%. The balance comprises fruit from Barney’s Balnarring (40%), Red Hill (10%) and Merricks Grove (8%) 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 24 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 93
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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