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Bondar

“Ethereal quality” from a Young McLaren Vale Star

Exciting times are these for Australian wine. Times when quality small producers are popping up everywhere across the viticultural landscape. Times when many of these producers are striving to make delicious, lighter-bodied, fresher, purer, more digestible wines that have a strong sense of place. And now, most significantly, it is a time when some of these producers are realising that it is in the vineyard activity—more specifically the way their vineyards are planted and the way they are managed—that will ultimately determine the quality and uniqueness of the wines they are able to produce. Bondar is certainly at the heart of this zeitgeist.

Established in 2012, Bondar is the vision of husband-and-wife team Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly.  Andre, with a history as a winemaker in the Adelaide Hills and Selina with a background in marketing and law, have planted roots (literally) in the north of McLaren Vale, Their new home is the Rayner Vineyard on Chalk Hill Road, where plantings of old bush vine Grenache and Shiraz vines up to 65-years-old are already in play, while newer, closer planted Counoise (one of the 13 Châteauneuf varieties) has been recently planted, and Mataro, Carignan and Cinsault are on the horizon. 

“There must be a bit of magic behind Bondar. All of the wines have an ethereal quality” Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

Straddling the Blewitt Springs and Seaview subregions, the Rayner Vineyard was planted in the 1950s. Today, under the meticulous management of Andre Bondar and Ben Lacey, the Rayner site is only now beginning to reveal its true potential. As the investment in the vineyard continues apace—with a focus on building soil health and microbial diversity—Bondar notes that this terroir and its old vines have begun to disclose a unique and consistent brand of freshness and elegance that screams of this deep sandy site. In tandem with the ascent of its vineyard, Bondar’s star continues its rise. 

Andre sees his role in translating the Rayner site into the wines as minimalist, and he picks earlier than many to catch the fresh fruit flavours intrinsic to Bondar’s graphic and fresh calling card. Native yeasts and gentle, extended extractions are par for the course, as is the use of mainly older hogsheads, puncheons and now demi-muids. Whole bunches are used extensively to introduce some more savoury characters to complement the purity of fruit that Rayner delivers. Regardless of the source of fruit, Andre and Selina want to make, in their own words, ‘… wines that are bright, structured, mid-weight, yet concentrated in flavour, and with a savoury element’. And of course, they want to make the finest quality possible. Terrific quality and remarkable pricing make for a heady mix and have gained Bondar the strong following they thoroughly deserve.

Currently Available

Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2023

Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2023

Named after the evocative sky beneath which Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly picked the last Shiraz bunches for their first-ever release of this wine, Violet Hour is a blend of fruit from 10 blocks in Bondar’s Rayner vineyard. Each block has a different aspect, and soils range from deep sand with ironstone rocks to clay over limestone. The Shiraz vines are some of the oldest on the property, reaching 70 years in some blocks—a key to understanding the depth and detail this wine can express.Violet Hour encapsulates the Bondar style—fragrance, juicy fruit and lightness of touch. The winemaking is adapted to the season; whole-bunch and destemmed fruit are used, and the juice spends varying times on skins, depending on the block. The wine sees only seasoned oak, usually for 10 months. The result is a seemingly effortless, transparent, deeply expressive wine that perfectly captures site, season and the Bondar style.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 bright, fragrant, spice-driven wine with dark berry flavours, a warm woodsy feel and purple flower lift. The palate is full and plump, with svelte structure and a bright, long finish.

“Deep, dark and inky in the glass. Heady aromas of mulberry, plum, sweet spice, dried herbs, violets, nutty oak, earth and bramble. Generously flavoured, full-bodied and mouth-filling. There's a lovely drive of fleshy dark fruits, along with firm, grippy tannins, bright acidity and shapely oak. Power and balance evident here.”
92 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
“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.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, The Wine Companion
Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2023
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2022

Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2022

This exceptional Shiraz is drawn from the two oldest blocks in the Rayner Vineyard, planted in 1950. Three-quarters of the fruit comes from Block 24 in the northeast corner of the vineyard, on deep sandy soils with ironstone rocks, dry-grown and organically managed. This portion gives wonderful fragrance and elegant structure. The remainder is cropped from Block 1, in the northwestern corner of the vineyard, laying in a cool gully. Dry-grown and organically managed, the shallow clay on the limestone base builds fine structure around the prettier, fleshier sandy portion.Fermented wild with 20% whole bunches, the wine spent two weeks on skins before 18 months’ aging in mostly used French hogsheads (with 5% new oak as part of the final blend) and was bottled without fining or filtration.

“Blueberry, blackberry, mint and sage, seaweed, some liquorice and biscuit spice. It’s full-bodied, but only just, saline and savoury, black olive, sweet blue and black fruit, raspberry ripple, ripe fine-grained but insistent tannin, oyster shell and cool peppermint, it’s thoroughly regional but has depth and presence. Lots to like here, and it feels classic McLaren Vale in character, though turned out with a light and deft touch in the winery. Ripe tannin rolls out the red raspberry carpet on a finish of fine length.”
95 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“Among the finest shiraz in the Vale, with the meager volume, subsequent concentration and tannic delivery of 2022 serving the plush, aromatic, full-bodied style well. Boysenberries, anise, pepper and ferrous tannins, forceful without compromising the tenacious, juicy flow of the fruit. Textbook Vale shiraz.”
95 points, Ned Goodwin MW, jamessuckling.com
“Dense and inky core, deep purple at the rim. Mulberry, clove, iodine, and mocha aromas. Dense and weighty with plush blue and purple fruits driving the core. The fruit sits fresh and lively though, alongside clove and vanilla spices, with a deep iodine ferrous undercurrent. Fine grained tannins keep it rolling along and it finishes very long. It has a classic Vale plushness but without overworking the fruit. Honestly, a bargain at the price.”
95 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
“From the two oldest blocks (1950 and ’60); two weeks on skins with about 20% whole bunches; 18 months in French hogsheads (5% new). The home vineyard shiraz trio are neatly differentiated. Here, there's a denser, more ‘classic’ feel, though the house style of restraint is still writ large. In part, this is defined by the iron, iodine and nori mineral notes sitting so forward in the wine, blue florals perfuming. Blackberry pastille, dark cherry, bitter chocolate, tar and master stock spice feature across a plumpness of fruit, but sans sweetness, rather suffused with the silky, supple gravitas of old-vine fruit guided by assertively fine tannins.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion 2025
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2022
Bondar Higher Springs Grenache 2022

Bondar Higher Springs Grenache 2022

Sue Trott’s Wilpena vineyard lies in the heart of Blewitt Springs. The vines were planted in 1952 and are dry-grown on deep sand. It faces steeply east—an uncommon aspect in McLaren Vale—and so misses out on much of the warm late-afternoon sun. Of this site, Andre Bondar gushes: “Sometimes when you walk into a vineyard that is this beautiful, you can’t help but think that it must make amazing wine.”  Know that feeling, Dre. According to Bondar, the Trott vineyard tends to a darker fruit profile than his Rayner site, alongside impressive power and structure. To this end, the parcel was split into two ferments, one with 80% bunches and the other with 10%, to aid in building fine structure and bring out the best of the site’s darker-fruited profile. Hand-bottled after 10 months in seasoned Stockinger demi-muid, it’s a shining, savoury expression that will continue to wow for years and years.

“Good depth of youthful colour, dark red and attractive. Meaty traditional grenache aromas meet the nose, rich and exotic, deep berry fruit, florals, spice and nutty old oak back it up. It's fleshy and ripe to taste, with lovely length and slightly mouth-puckering tannins in support. Delicious.”
95 points, Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review
“Cherry, raspberry, almond, dried roses and thyme, with quite some spice and a little cedar. It’s medium-bodied, cherry and dried herb, a little blood orange in the mix, tannin is firm with a light graininess and grip, with a sappy freshness, and a dry pumice stone tannin finish of excellent length, some orange peel in the aftertaste. It has a good volume of fruit, yet its pretty savoury in style too, with an amaro twist. More to come, I expect.”
94+ points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Bondar Higher Springs Grenache 2022
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2024

Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2024

Bondar’s high-toned and beautifully pure Grenache is sourced from the 1970 block in the Rayner Vineyard. The vines sit on very sandy soils (part of the Pirramimma sandstone geology) and are dry-grown and organically managed. Facing east on the site's western side, these particularly low-yielding vines miss out on the hot late-afternoon sun during summer and produce small bunches and berries. These vines are marked and picked specifically for this wine. Seeking a pretty but savoury style, the Bondar team picks Grenache a little earlier than many of their peers, helping to capture the fruit’s red fruit and herbal characteristics. To further build structure and longevity, 20% bunches are used in spontaneous ferments. The wine ages for six months in ceramic eggs and mature French barrels. From another cool, late season in McLaren Vale, this year’s Rayner Grenache combines lacy red fruit character with bright acidity, perfume and spice. This is McLaren Vale Grenache in its purest guise.

“Raspberry, strawberry, and quite some minty nutty perfume. It’s fresh, lots of strawberry dusted with pepper, succulent and red fruited, I like this bit of almond paste it shows, and also bright acidity, a sort of cocoa richness, with a peppery tannin and ginger biscuit finish of excellent length. It’s a bony and spicy wine that offers delicious sweet red fruited flavour. Minty, yes, but so fine.”
94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“From a sandy 1970-planted block on the home Rayner vineyard; about 10% whole bunch; aged in ceramic amphorae and large-format old oak for 10 months. There’s always an ease to this wine, a red-fruited clarity of expression, a sense of immediate joy, but the Bondar wines never let the fun override the seriousness, nor vice versa. There’s certainly serious intent here though with elegance as the mantra, and perhaps more so in this vintage, with a more savoury lean. Wild raspberry, tart cranberry, rosehip, pomegranate, crushed rose, cinnamon, white pepper, young bay, cracked earth and tamarind. The mid-palate is supple, swirling with flavour, the tannins discretely resolute. Lovely.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, The Wine Companion
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2024
Bondar Fiano 2025

Bondar Fiano 2025

The Fiano grown in McLaren Vale is prized for its thick skins and high natural acidity. Andre and Selina sourced the fruit from two sites run by the talented Ben Lacey: Lacey Branson Road site in Tatachilla and Lacey HQ block on Olivers Road. Due to its proximity to the sea, Branson block maintains relatively cool temperatures in the warm summer months. The soils are grey-brown loam over limestone, and the thick-skinned fruit holds its natural acidity well. The Olivers Road block faces north with higher summer temperatures and rich red loam soils over limestone.Picked in mid-February, the grapes were gently pressed to draw out texture from the skins. Fermented in tank with 10% in old oak, the parcels were blended and bottled young to preserve freshness. In Andre Bondar’s words: “it’s fine and fresh, not neutral or boring.” Expect orchard blossom and herbs on the nose, a salty mineral line, and a pithy, textural finish.

Bondar Fiano 2025
Bondar Rosé 2025

Bondar Rosé 2025

Once again, Grenache plays the starring role in Bondar’s Rosé, weighing in at 90% of the blend with the balance Cinsault and Mataro. Most of the fruit comes from Andre and Selina Bondar’s Rayner vineyard, with a small portion of Grenache sourced from an old sandy site in Blewitt Springs. Most Grenache vines at the sandy Rayner Vineyard are 55 years old, with a small block of younger material also included in the mix. The Cinsault and Mataro are grown on the home site.The '25 vintage was dry, warm and calm. Harvest started early on the 30th of January- 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. A four day-heatwave in February also tested the team, but the fruit held up well on the sandy soils. Harvest was well-concluded by late March. Andre used a variety of techniques to build complexity and texture. The young-vine and grower Grenache alongside the Cinsault fermented at cool temperatures to preserve bright, primary characters. Then, for weight, texture and savoury character, the older-vine Grenache from the Rayner vineyard and the Mataro fermented at warm temperatures in old oak. The result is a pure, fresh, layered rosé packed with juicy red fruit flavour, chalky, pithy grip and a refreshingly long watermelon drenched close. 

Bondar Rosé 2025
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AT-A-GLANCE

• Andre and Selina Bondar established Bondar in 2012 with the purchase of Rayner Vineyard.

• The site is in the north of McLaren Vale on the border of Blewitt Springs and Seaview. It has deep sandy soils with ironstone rocks throughout.

• The 1950s-planted vineyard is dry-grown, organically managed and home to old bush-vine Shiraz and Grenache, with recent plantings of Counoise, Mataro, Carignan and Cinsault.

• The Bondars also purchase fruit—including Chardonnay, Fiano and Monastrell—from like-minded growers in McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills.

• The style hinges on freshness: picking is earlier than most, extractions are gentle, and new oak is used sparingly.

• The range includes entry-level blends and straight varietals in white, red and rosé, plus premium, single-vineyard reds.

IN THE MEDIA

“There must be a bit of magic behind Bondar. All of the wines have an ethereal quality” Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

“Marquee McLaren Vale vineyard now in the hands of some really good people, really good winemakers. It’s a very exciting proposition. The resulting wines, so far, short as the tenure has been, have been great.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

“Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly began a deliberately unhurried journey in '09, which culminated in the purchase of the celebrated Rayner Vineyard post-vintage ’13. Andre had been a winemaker at Nepenthe wines for 7 years, and Selina had recently completed a law degree. They changed focus and began to look for a vineyard capable of producing great red wines. Rayner had all the answers: a ridge bisecting the land, Blewitt Springs sand on the eastern side; and heavier clay loam soils over limestone on the western side. The vineyard has been substantially reworked and includes 10ha of shiraz, with smaller amounts of grenache, mataro, touriga, carignan, cinsaut and counoise, all of which are tended to with modern winemaking.” ★★★★★ Halliday Wine Companion

Country

Australia

Primary Region

McLaren Vale, South Australia

People

Winemaker: Andre Bondar

Availability

VIC, QLD, SA, TAS, WA

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