Garagiste Le Stagiaire Chardonnay 2025

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

Barney Flanders pulls from a tidy mix of Mornington vineyards here, anchored by 25-year-old vines across Balnarring, Merricks North, Merricks and Tuerong. All whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in big 500L puncheons, and left alone on lees for seven months. Just long enough to get the palate weight ramped up a fraction before bottling.

Gee, it looks good, even at this early stage of its life. There’s a cool glide to the palate - citrus skin, white nectarine, maybe a flick of jasmine - with a subtle nip of oak and a gentle creamy ripple from partial malo. It's class-act Chardonnay that feels much more premium than the price tag suggests.

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