After a string of excellent yet frustratingly small seasons, 2024 delivered the goods for Barney Flanders. Not only was the fruit quality right up there, but the crop levels, though still below average, saw a bounce-back, too. “We worked our behinds off, got the farming right, and hopefully, it paid dividends”. No fear on that front, Barney. Garagiste’s Tuerong and Balnarring vineyards form the backbone of his Stagiaire wines, so are only released in years when quality and quantity align. “The quality has to be single-vineyard quality,” Barney explains, “I won’t pull from Stagiaire unless it’s worth it.” And in 2024, it certainly was worth it. So, the Tuerong Chardonnay returns after a brief hiatus in 2023, and Balnarring Pinot Noir is back for the first time since 2021. Balnarring lies just 10 kilometres from Garagiste’s flagship Merricks vineyard. Despite the proximity, there are distinct differences in the growing cycle and, hence, the style of wines. Balnarring lies further north yet ripens later; the bunches tend to be smaller; and though the subregion is lower, this site sits high, and there’s a small pocket of red dirt (à la Merricks) in the sea of more typical grey and brown soils. You can expect a touch more depth, shade and lifted spice, with refined lines and savoury length. Tuerong lies in the most northerly part of the Peninsula and is always the first fruit to land in the Garagiste cellar. It’s a site capable of producing broad wines with ripe, sunny expression, but after 15 years of farming, Barney picks with precision, capturing depth and power while retaining shimmering freshness and tension.