Garagiste Le Stagiaire Grenache Blanc 2024

Garagiste Le Stagiaire Grenache Blanc is a dry white from Colbinabbin, in Heathcote.

Barney Flanders came back from a vintage at Ogier, in Côte-Rôtie, with a lasting appetite for Rhône varieties, and after years of asking he finally secured a small parcel of Grenache Blanc in 2024 from the Rathjen family at Colbinabbin. Ian and Lynne Rathjen are fourth-generation farmers who have worked these ancient Cambrian soils since the 1850s. The vines face south-east, are about ten years old, and root into red dirt over limestone. Yields are kept low across the property, so the parcel came to just a couple of tonnes. Picking happened at 12 to 12.5 per cent potential alcohol, and the bunches went whole into seasoned 500-litre puncheons.

A first release that landed: fresh and pure, with floral lift, clean stone fruit and a mouth-watering saline depth, delicate and perfumed at a modest alcohol. Serve at 11 degrees with grilled fish, roast chicken, a herb-heavy salad, or a plate of mild cheeses.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.