2024 Garagiste Balnarring Pinot Noir

95 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

A much denser and richer offering compared with its Merricks sibling. With its whorl of the blackest cherries, kirsch and licorice it’s almost luscious. Sweet, cedary oak fleshes out the fuller-bodied palate, yet it’s by no means a weighty wine. There's some blood orange and chinotto in the mix, with fine tannins and equally fine acidity playing leading roles.

95 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

It’s spicy and perfumed, has a sort of ripe cherry and empty chocolate box thing happening, something a little earthy like Kukicha (Bancha) twig tea (try it, it’s nice). It’s medium-bodied, plush and flavoursome, blood plum, cherry and almond, exotic spice, with a gently sappy tang, cool acidity, and a distinctly earthy ‘mineral’ character that’s really very fetching. There’s something of a pumice stone feel to tannin, and the finish is bright and long, with red fruit and a twist of orange peel bitterness. Has a bit of X factor. Very nice.”

95 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

I most often request samples by emailing Barney Flanders with some sort of erm, unusual wording, and receive a response in kind. The last batch of samples were addressed to Sir Gary Walsh, and this lot had Sgt Gary Walsh. I’m not sure if I’ve moved up or down in Flanders world; maybe just sideways. It’s spicy and perfumed, has a sort of ripe cherry and empty chocolate box thing happening, something a little earthy like Kukicha (Bancha) twig tea (try it, it’s nice). It’s medium-bodied, plush and flavoursome, blood plum, cherry and almond, exotic spice, with a gently sappy tang, cool acidity, and a distinctly earthy ‘mineral’ character that’s really very fetching. There’s something of a pumice stone feel to tannin, and the finish is bright and long, with red fruit and a twist of orange peel bitterness. Has a bit of X factor. Very nice.