2016 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir

The fruit for the La Stagiaire Pinot predominantly comes from Garagiste's Balnarring and Tuerong vineyards, with a small proportion of Merricks and Red Hill. Excellent depth displaying a dark red colour with black tinged edges and a bright dark red hue. The nose displays great aromatic lift with hints of violet tied to more prominent notes of ripe dark cherries and strawberries infused with fresh herbs over some meaty characters, lightly toasted cedar and spice. Light to medium bodied, amply fruited and showing good complexity within a supple mouthfeel, the palate is filled with delicious spicy ripe dark cherry and strawberry flavours infused with traces of anise and dried herbs. Also present are nuances of dried meats and lightly toasted cedar. Slightly dryish finish with otherwise velvet like tannins. Excellent power with a long spicy aftertaste of ripe dark cherries, strawberries, subtle infusions of anise, dried herbs, meaty characters and lightly toasted cedar.
Cellar 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.5%

Other Reviews....
It's wrong, in a way, to call this the entry-level wine but as point of comparison it will have to do. A selection of fruit from the four sites, destemmed with a small portion whole bunches, wild yeast and aged in French oak hogsheads 10% new for 10 months. It ticks all the boxes - flavour, balance, neatly etched tannins with some grip on the finish, lightly spiced, just shy of full-bodied and ready to rock 'n' roll. Drink by 2025.
94 points
Jane Faulkner - James Halliday's The Wine Companion