This site is always first cab off the rank for picking at Garagiste and can be harvested as early as two weeks before Merricks—highlighting the impact of aspect for grape growing on the Peninsula. Fruit is hand harvested from 32-year-old, dry-grown, north-facing vines on grey-black sandy soils over brown sandy loam. Like the Merricks Chardonnay, this was hand-sorted and whole-bunch pressed, followed by natural primary fermentation with high levels of solids in François Frères 500-litre puncheons (25% new). A small portion went through natural malolactic fermentation and the wine then rested on full gross lees with no bâtonnage for nine months before bottling.