Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2023

Mainly from the sandy patches of the Bondar home Rayner vineyard from the top of the hill, with a small portion from lower down on clay and limestone. The value here has always been super keen. That’s as true as ever with this iteration from a cool year, typically lifted and fragrant but also with some serious import. A tick up from mid-weight, this is spicy and peppered ferruginous minerality, along with blackberry, dark cherries, tapenade, violet, cassia, bay, coffee bean and salted licorice. Red berries swell up on the palate, with a thoughtfully woven skein of tannins underwriting its class. Excellent. Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion

The third in a string of La Niña years in McLaren Vale, 2023 was, in fact, the region’s coolest season in decades. Andre Bondar’s preference is for wines of perfume and restrained power, so these marginal conditions and low yields played right into his hands. Picking came late in the season, giving the fruit plenty of time to hang and develop intense, complex flavour while maintaining high, fresh acid lines. The result is a joyously fragrant, spice-driven wine with full, plump palate presence, svelte structure and a bright, long finish. Winery note.