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

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.

The Range

Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024
$79.00
Added

Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024

Bondar's Hope Springs Eternal Grenache is sourced from Sue Trott's Wilpena Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, widely regarded as a benchmark site for the variety. Planted in 1952, these dry-grown bush vines sit at 200 metres elevation on deep Maslin Sands, facing steeply east—an uncommon aspect in McLaren Vale that Bondar favours. The vineyard produces wines of remarkable power and structure, with a distinctive tannin profile and darker fruit character.The parcel was divided into two ferments: one with 60% whole bunches, the other 30%. Élevage took place over 16 months in seasoned oak and Vin de Terre ceramic amphora. This is a wine that rewards patience, requiring time to harmonise and fully reveal its character.The 2024 vintage was cool, with healthy yields from ample soil moisture in spring and early summer. A long, dry lead-in to harvest resulted in well-balanced wines combining freshness and flavour, embodying Bondar's philosophy of elegant, refined expression.

"Trott vineyard, ’52-planted bush vines, about 60% whole bunch with a very gentle extraction, matured in seasoned Austrian oak, ceramic and sandstone amphora. The Trott vineyard often throws darker fruits and moodier florals, and they’re here, yet the core remains red fruited and the structure is agreeably tense, a conduit for the twin charge of acidity and silty, chewy tannins. The high whole-bunch component builds that tannin, plus adds spice, but is also discreet. Wild raspberry, sour black and red cherry, redcurrant gel, goji, rosehip tea, orange poached rhubarb. It’s a wine of deep intrigue rather than easy pleasures, savoury, structurally corded, far from difficult, but a wine to age, as is the intent."
97 points, Marcus Ellis, Wine Companion
Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024
$79.00
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Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2025
$41.00
Added

Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2025

Sourced from the 1970 block on the Rayner Vineyard's deep, sandy western edge (part of the Pirramimma sandstone geology), dry-grown and organically managed. East-facing on the site's western side, these low-yielding vines avoid the harsh late-afternoon summer sun, naturally producing small, concentrated bunches.A tough, dry 2025 cut yields by half, prompting Andre Bondar to bring in ~30% fruit from young bush vines upslope alongside the old vines — the blend lending fresh lift to the old vines' depth and power. Winemaking stays low-intervention: 20% whole bunches, six months in ceramic eggs and French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Outstanding value from one of McLaren Vale's most compelling old-vine sites.

"A warm and dry season, with halved crops, so some younger vine material joined the 1970-planted vines. Whatever the challenges, the result is in the black. Also, no oak this year, being fermented and raised in ceramic, clay and concrete; 15% whole bunch. There’s a deepness to this, and some levity. It feels spicier, earthier, less buoyantly red-fruited, although the cranberry, pomegranate and redcurrant notes are there, along with black cherry, spiced plum, raspberry compote, Baharat spicing and, discreetly, the crackling dry herbs of whole-bunch fermentation, a rusted-iron note, too. There’s fine tension, savouriness and drive. Give it a little time. It won't disappoint."
95+ points, Marcus Ellis, The Halliday Wine Companion
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2025
$41.00
Added
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2023
$49.00
Added

Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2023

This exceptional Shiraz is drawn from the two oldest blocks in the Rayner Vineyard, planted respectively in 1950 and 1960. 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. The latter selection brings “the bones” and structure to the fleshier fruit from the older vines.The fruit was hand-picked and wild-yest fermented with two weeks on skins. The wine aged for 12 months in two- and three-year-old French oak before a further six months’ aging in large, old foudres. As you might expect, the Ryaner is deeper, more structured, and more age-worthy than Bondar’s Violet Hour and Midnight Hours wines. The restrained use of oak and inclusion of 90% whole bunches ensure this wine shows a freshness to complement the old-vine intensity.  It’s a wonderful, textbook follow up to the 2022 vintage.

“Andre Bondar is never going to pursue rich styles, but this bottling usually has a little more supple generosity. That’s still true here, with a sultry feel to the dark-fruited nose in blackberry, boysenberry and black cherry, and to the silky, saline palate. There’s also a malty, tarry note, master stock, kelp, violets and iron. The cool year, the third in a row, plays into the house credo, balancing fruit depth and intensity with pep and floral lift. It’s a very good release.”
96 points, Marcus Ellis, The Halliday Wine Companion
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Shiraz 2023
$49.00
Added
Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz 2024
$49.00
Added

Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz 2024

Crafted from Rayner Vineyard Shiraz planted in 1960, Midnight Hour is Bondar’s Yin to the Violet Hour’s Yang. These vines are the second-oldest vines on the property, rooted in red and brown clay over limestone. The age and soil encourages smaller, open canopies that let sunlight filter through all season, ripening the stems and encouraging supple tannins.Andre takes his cue from the Northern Rhône. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented with 90% whole bunches before ageing in old French oak for 15 months. After years of fine-tuning, Selina and Andre are confident in its direction. “It has more tannin and is more brooding,” Selina explained. “It can be a bit dark and more structural,” Andre added. The wine is generous from the first sip, with ripe tannins and cola spice wrapped in silky bramble and forest fruits. Lifted whole-bunch spice carries the fruit without heaviness.

Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz 2024
$49.00
Added
Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2024
$36.00
Added

Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2024

The Violet Hour was the first wine the Bondar family made, and it still holds a special place in their collection. The name comes from a harvest sunset at Rayner Vineyard and proved appropriate for the wine: “It evokes purple velvet and flowers and softness,” Selina says.This year, that floral note is layered with lush spice from an Eden Valley clone that Andre sought out for its Rhône-like aromatics. All fruit comes from the Rayner vineyard, where vines up to 75 years old sit on deep sandy soils with ironstone over limestone. Multiple blocks with varying aspects get bespoke treatment before blending. Some see whole-berry ferment, others longer time on skins, depending on what suits the grapes best.The wine spent 10 months in mature oak and was blended in January after harvest. In the Bondars’ words: “we want our Violet Hour to be as transparent as possible, to express our unique and beautiful site.” Red fruit, char spice, and elusive elegance deliver just that.

“Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly approach McLaren Vale shiraz like young renovators who’ve just inherited an old mansion from an eccentric old aunt. What was once dark has had the light let in, abundant artifacts and ornate over-stuffing replaced with cleaner lines and more open space. It’s still the beautiful place it always was, but is now more appealing to a contemporary market. If you’ve always loved McLaren Vale shiraz, you’ll still be happy here, and if you didn’t think it was for you, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you feel at home.”
96 points, Nick Ryan, The Australian, Top 100 Wines of 2025
Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2024
$36.00
Added
Bondar Monastrell 2024
$36.00
Added

Bondar Monastrell 2024

This limited release of three barrels comes from fruit off the Lacey vineyard in Willunga, where rocky clay loam soils lie over the revered Kurrajong geology formation. When compared with the Rayner vineyard’s fine sands, Andre tells us that “the soils are more similar to parts of Bandol where they grow on rocks.” The 15-year-old vines are farmed with minimal inputs, and the winemaking follows a similar path, with hand-picking, no additions, and bottling unfined and unfiltered.More commonly labelled Mourvèdre or Mataro, Monastrell is a hardy, thick-skinned grape that can produce big, big wines, yet Andre Bondar aims for a more finessed style. As he explains, “we found Mataro tends to have a reputation of being a big and tannic beast which is certainly not what we try to produce. Our Monastrell is made to be more medium bodied, yet to have all of the lovely spice and savoury notes.”To this end, Andre and Selina have found that whole bunches in the ferment bring freshness to the wine and provide “a softer, more ethereal feel.” Bottled without fining or filtration after 15 months in used oak, it possesses a firmer structure than the silky personality of Bondar's other Rayner vineyard wines. That said, it still displays the characteristic fragrance and delightfully light touch of the Estate wines. This Monastrell is remarkably perfumed, with textured fresh fruits underlying more serious spice and depth and a lick of late, chewy tannin from the thick-skinned berries.

Bondar Monastrell 2024
$36.00
Added
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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 PRESS

“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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