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International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines

Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Clarendon Shiraz 2023

$79.00
In stock
Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Clarendon Shiraz 2023
Producer Bondar
Region, Country McLaren Vale, Australia
Bottle Size 750ml
Case Size 6
Product Code 25098-750

Andre Bondar can’t hide his excitement that he is now working with Shiraz from the famed Hickinbotham Vineyard in Clarendon. This high, dry-grown, biodynamically farmed site was first planted in 1971 in these rocky, ironstone-rich red soils. It’s a revered site in SA circles, supplying Grange, Eileen Hardy and Clarendon Hills, among others, over the years. Clarendon sits considerably further inland than Bondar’s Rayner Vineyard and, at 250m altitude, produces a very different expression of Shiraz. “It’s finer, with ferrous quality and red fruits; there is a tightness and coiled power,” explains Andre.

In a very Bondar way, the winemaking does not detract from the purity of the site. Around 65% bunches were used in the ferment, and the wine matured in seasoned French hogsheads for 14 months. This is the second release of this wine (previously called Clarendon Shiraz). Andre played the first release with a straight bat: minimal bunches and a lick of new oak. Now he’s seen what the fruit can do, he’s incorporated some Bondar flair: the bunches bring an abundance of savoury spice to the intoxicating, potent power of the Hickinbotham fruit. It’s a hell of a wine.

Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Clarendon Shiraz 2023

Reviews

“Dark, plummy red in the glass. Fragrant and lifted aromas of spice, bramble, earth, charcuterie, sarsaparilla, blueberry, forest floor and an earthy woodsiness. Full-bodied, punchy and crunchy on the palate. Blue and dark fruits, snappy acidity, granular, grippy tannins and sappy spice are all at play. Long, textured, layered and complex.”
95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
“It feels as though there’s good volume here because the fruit and tannin spreads through the finish. In general it’s medium bodied. It tastes of toast, smoked meat, undergrowth and plums, with peppercorn, violet and graphite as afters. There’s a surliness to this wine but then the finish has such excellent carry. This needs to be left along a while but it’s very good.”
94 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“From the Hickinbotham vineyard, planted in '71 and managed under biodynamic and organic certification. This is effectively the second year for this wine, though the cuvée name is new, christening a range that explores sites outside of the home vineyard that Andre and Selina believe excel. Elegant and lifted, dry spiced and red fruited, eschewing heft for refinement, this is a deeply layered wine, both in flavour and structural architecture, with pervasive yet not intrusive ferrous and graphite notes. The carefully crafted tannic matrix is a standout. This is stunning now, but it feels like a sleeper, with the score likely inadequate.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, The Wine Companion

Reviews

“Dark, plummy red in the glass. Fragrant and lifted aromas of spice, bramble, earth, charcuterie, sarsaparilla, blueberry, forest floor and an earthy woodsiness. Full-bodied, punchy and crunchy on the palate. Blue and dark fruits, snappy acidity, granular, grippy tannins and sappy spice are all at play. Long, textured, layered and complex.”
95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
“It feels as though there’s good volume here because the fruit and tannin spreads through the finish. In general it’s medium bodied. It tastes of toast, smoked meat, undergrowth and plums, with peppercorn, violet and graphite as afters. There’s a surliness to this wine but then the finish has such excellent carry. This needs to be left along a while but it’s very good.”
94 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“From the Hickinbotham vineyard, planted in '71 and managed under biodynamic and organic certification. This is effectively the second year for this wine, though the cuvée name is new, christening a range that explores sites outside of the home vineyard that Andre and Selina believe excel. Elegant and lifted, dry spiced and red fruited, eschewing heft for refinement, this is a deeply layered wine, both in flavour and structural architecture, with pervasive yet not intrusive ferrous and graphite notes. The carefully crafted tannic matrix is a standout. This is stunning now, but it feels like a sleeper, with the score likely inadequate.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, The Wine Companion

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