Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir 2025

Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir is a four-site Mornington Peninsula Pinot built on MV6 with a Dijon-clone backbone.

Two clonal families do the work. Dijon 114 and 115 from thirty-year-old vines at the Merricks North fermage account for 42 per cent of the blend, and their job is perfume and plushness. The MV6 component, 40 per cent from Balnarring with 10 from Red Hill and eight from Merricks Grove, supplies structure and depth. Barney Flanders sorts in the vineyard and again on the bench, ferments spontaneously in concrete and stainless with whole berries and a small bunch fraction, and leaves the fruit on skins for 24 days with gentle pumpovers. Seven months in 300-litre hogsheads follow, with next to no new wood, and the wine goes to bottle without fining or filtration.

Bright and perfumed, with raspberry, red cherry and cracked pepper over something earthier, and a saline lift on the close. Tannins are fine, the finish long. Drink it at 14 to 16 degrees alongside roast chicken, pork belly or a bowl of pasta with mushrooms.

*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.