2024 Garagiste Merricks Pinot Noir

Barney Flanders has hit another level with this 2024 Merricks Pinot Noir. It’s his 20th vintage working this site, and the experience shows in every finely tuned detail - this is pure Mornington Peninsula Pinot with muscle, poise and confidence.

Drawn from 28-year-old vines grown on the famous Mornington red dirt, this is the most structured and powerful Pinot in the Garagiste range. The 2024 vintage brought slightly higher yields than 2023, but the fruit came in balanced and pristine. Barney stuck to his trademark style: 33% whole bunches, wild ferment, gentle extraction, and 10 months in French oak (just 20% new). Very classic winemaking from Barney - if it ain't broke, don't mess with it!

The wine has incredible depth - dark cherry, raspberry, and blood plum lead into layers of spice, fresh herbs, and a subtle mineral line. The tannins are finely woven and gently assertive, giving the wine structure without heaviness. There’s lift, length and that signature savoury edge Barney handles so well.

It’s a wine that manages to be both generous and grounded. One of the Peninsula’s great Pinot makers in full stride - this is as good as Merricks gets. Drink now with air or tuck it away for a few years if you’ve got the patience.

95 points
"A distinctive trait of the Garagiste pinots, they are savoury. Sure there’s a core of good fruit, but the cherry accent is merely one component; there’s the spice, the woodsy, cedary oak, all integrated, the ferrous character, almost stony, the pleasantly drying tannins and flourish of fine acidity to close. It’s complete. It’s also charmingly aromatic."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points
"This is a rich, spicy and cherry laden wine. There’s some orange peel and amaro twang, an earthy spice. a bit of empty chocolate box, a cool mineral thing happening, a dusty and graphite grip to tannin, juicy dark cherry and grainy tannin on a finish of excellent length. Crisp, flavoursome and energetic. Sappy and wheaty. Very good Pinot here."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)