Producer Barnaby Flanders is a vital name in the Mornington Peninsula wine scene. He's been running his label Garagiste since 2006, producing top-notch single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, a great Aligote, which is not commonly found in Australia, and one sparkling wine. His label Le Stagiaire is an excellent 'value for money' option, blending fruit from reputable growers and carefully chosen sites across the Mornington Peninsula - he makes his wines simply by channelling their natural flavour and character with as little interference as possible. Tasting Note Perfumed bright red fruit, dried herbs and fresh rose petals fill the glass and the palate is delicate and refreshing with hints of spice and minerality. This wine blends Pinot Noir from four Mornington sites: Merricks North, Balnarring, Red Hill and Merrics Grove. Once picked, spontaneous fermentation took place across concrete and stainless steel vats, with 15% of it being in whole bunches and the rest on skins; it stayed here for 23 days before being pressed and moved to oak, 5% of it being new. The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined. "This is spicy, red-fruited, some dried mint and flowers. Kind of exotic too with that cardamom pod thing. It's medium-bodied, sappy and crunchy, cherry and strawberry, dried herb perfume, the tannin just sits so well within the wine and it lays on the charm from front to back. It's savoury and saline, with some almond paste, but has vibrancy and plenty of fruit. It has personality and more than a little chutzpah. More importantly, it drinks a charm." - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front 94 Points
