Ample and dark fruited, with a smoky, savoury feel. Plenty of spice amid the berry fruits, with lovely earthy and graphite notes running through. Predominantly from Garagiste's Balnarring, Tuerong and Merricks vineyards, with a small proportion of Red Hill fruit. The grapes were sorted then destemmed--a small percentage of the Merricks portion was fermented with a 100% whole bunches--and fermented in small open fermenters using indigenous yeast, minimal hand plunging and spending 25 days on skins. The wine was aged for ten months in 10% new hogsheads with the balance being raised in older hogsheads. Unfined and unfiltered. Barnaby Flanders created the Garagiste label following his amicable split with Allies co-founder David Chapman (who continues with the Allies label). Barney now focuses on a snug range of small-batch wines from fruit sourced from the highly prized Merricks Grove vineyard, the Silverwood vineyard (Balnarring), and the Hugh Robinson vineyard in Moorooduc. Garagiste, the main label, is ably supported by delicious entry-level wines under the Le Stagiaire banner. Barnaby and Cam (Marshall) manage all aspects of the viticulture and winemaking themselves and a range of succulent, finely tuned and elegantly crafted cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is what results.

Barney Flanders’s debut Grenache Blanc is the result of a long-standing admiration for Rhône varietals and a successful collaboration with the Rathjen family in Heathcote. Sourced from southeast-facing vines planted a decade ago in Colbinabbin’s red Cambrian soils over limestone, this small-batch wine highlights the freshness and fine texture Barney is known for. The fruit was hand-picked at optimal ripeness (12-12.5% potential alcohol) and whole-bunch pressed into seasoned 500-litre puncheons. The focus was on preserving the purity and delicate aromatics of the Grenache Blanc, and Barney’s hands-off yet attentive approach has delivered a stunning result. The 2024 Le Stagiaire Grenache Blanc is all about balance. Aromas of white florals and stone fruit lead into a bright, pure palate with hints of peach, citrus, and a subtle saline minerality. The texture is elegant and fine, with a long, refreshing finish that leaves you wanting another sip. An impressive first release that combines freshness, charm, and understated complexity—this is a wine that promises great things to come for Barney’s foray into Grenache Blanc. 93 points"Good perfume, salted pistachio, pear and fresh apricot, and kind of waxy too. It has flesh and plenty of apple and pear flavour, again that saline thing, light dusty texture, some cool mint in with the waxy orchard fruit, hard steeped chamomile tea, preserved lemon, and a finish of good length. Very good wine. Texture and a slippery feel, but still keeps itself fresh."- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Hand harvested, hand sorted & whole bunch pressed. Natural fermentation is on high solids with partial malolactic. Barrel fermented in 500-litre puncheons (20% new François Frères), the wine is matured on lees for 10 months before bottling.A bright & punchy Chardonnay; Lemon & grapefruit citrus. Sherbert. Spicy oak. slight lees funkiness. A good lengthy finish.

Grapes sourced from the 6-acre Robinson vineyard where the 25-year-old vines are rooted in black sand over brown sandy loam. North-facing site, harvested early on the 18th February. Warmer & more stable microclimate here generates a fleshier, more satin textured wine. The early harvest & partial malo provide the requisite mouthwatering crunch.A powerful & intense Chardonnay. Bright citrus & stonefruit, fig, spiced oak, flint, almost cider-like characters. Striking acidity & a lengthy finish.

Le Stagiaire Chardonnay is drawn mostly from Garagistes Merricks vineyard, with the balance coming from Balnarring and Tuerong. Barney Flanders doesn't make these wines specifically for this labelall his ferments start out as potential single-vineyard wines, so the single-site wines are barrel selections, with the remaining wines bottled under Le Stagiaire. This provides some idea of how this label is able over-deliver, year in year out.