2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay

Top value Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay from the legend that is Barney Flanders.
4.4
Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars
5 Reviews

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

Another fantastic release here of one of Victoria's best-value Chardonnays.

This year’s blend brings together fruit from some of Garagiste’s top vineyards—65% from Balnarring, with smaller portions from Merricks North and Tuerong—where vines averaging 25 years old bring depth and concentration to the fruit.

Pressed as whole bunches and wild fermented in 500-litre puncheons, this Chardonnay is all about texture and finesse. It spent seven months on lees, building a round, supple mouthfeel balanced by a bracing saline streak that keeps everything lifted and refreshing. You’ll find layers of citrus, white flowers, and stone fruits, with just a hint of oak adding subtle structure.

There is never a lot of this wine around and given the value on offer, it's no wonder. Great buying.

94 points
"Complex and quite umami in character. Grapefruit, apple, saline, nutty, Japanese ginger, and a little struck match. It has bright acidity, a certain juiciness in with all that nutty almost sake-like character, creamy almond, fine chalky texture, and a finish of excellent length. Really good Chardonnay, and all things considered, jolly good value. Charismatic, is my last word on this wine. Say no more."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points - "Complex and quite umami in character. Grapefruit, apple, saline, nutty, Japanese ginger, and a little struck match. It has bright acidity, a certain juiciness in with all that nutty almost sake-like character, creamy almond, fine chalky texture, and a finish of excellent length. Really good Chardonnay, and all things considered, jolly good value. Charismatic, is my last word on this wine. Say no more." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

4.4
Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars
Based on 5 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 2 Total 4 star reviews: 3 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
5 reviews
  • AF
    Ayal F.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    7 months ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Exceptional!

    Supremely good Mornington Chardy from Barney! Great value 🙌

  • LM
    Lachlan M.
    Verified Buyer
    2 years ago
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Delicious

    Great lemon/flint drive typical of younger/clean Mornington Chardonnay

  • RE
    Ross E.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2023 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Le Stagiaire Chardonnay

    A high quality Chardonnay, clean, I personally like them a little creamier but it was most enjoyable, would be great with a roast chicken dinner

Reviews LoadedReviews Added

This year’s Stagiaire blend draws on fruit from Balnarring (65%), Merricks North (19%) and Tuerong (16%). The Merricks North parcel is drawn from the latest addition to Garagiste’s bench of great Mornington sites. Planted in 1996, the vines lie in similar brown loamy soils to those at the flagship Merricks Grove site located close by.

Sorted in the vineyard and winery before being pressed as whole bunches to 500-litre puncheons, this wine is wild fermented with no temperature control, followed by seven months on lees to slowly enrich the texture. A couple of barrels went through malolactic, and the nicely integrated new oak component stands at 10%. It’s bursting with youthful freshness and vigour, full of citrus, white flowers and stone fruits with a mouthwatering saline thread slicing through the fleshy texture. It’s a classic Stagiaire that will only get better with time and air.


Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
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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