2024 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz
2024 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz

2024 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz

96 pts NICK RYAN TOP 100
Bondar |McLaren Vale |Shiraz
The very model of a modern McLaren Vale Shiraz. Seriously great buying!
4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
40 Reviews
Price:
$32.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The Violet Hour was the first wine Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly made, and it’s still the best expression of what they do - elegant, energetic McLaren Vale Shiraz with real shape and detail.

Sourced entirely from the Rayner Vineyard, where old vines sit on deep sands threaded with ironstone, the 2024 shows McLaren Vale in its most refined light. There’s red and blue fruit, a little spice and pepper, fine tannins, and just enough flesh to fill the frame. No heavy oak, no excess.

Andre’s goal here has always been to make a wine that’s pure and expressive rather than loud or showy and this vintage nails it. It’s supple, savoury, and built on balance.

96 points
"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."
- Nick Ryan (Top 100 Wines of 2025)

Nick Ryan

Nick Ryan

The Weekend Australian 96 Points

Top 100 Wines of 2025

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.

Customer Reviews

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
Based on 40 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 29 Total 4 star reviews: 8 Total 3 star reviews: 3 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
40 reviews
  • NM
    Noel M.
    Verified Buyer
    3 minutes ago
    Reviewing
    2024 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Beautiful drop

    Right from the first taste,Very nice shiraz

    Was this helpful?
  • DW
    Darrell W.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    2023 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Good drinking

    A good value quality wine with smooth textures and pleasant palate. Would buy again

    Was this helpful?
  • NB
    Nicholas B.
    Verified Buyer
    2 months ago
    Reviewing
    2023 Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great example - certainly worth it!

    Great example of McLaren Vale Shiraz at an easy price point. if you love Shiraz from this region, this is certainly worth seeking out!

    Was this helpful?
Show More

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.

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Shiraz
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

Bondar Wines

Andre & Selina Bondar are one of the great modern Australian wine success stories. We have been massive fans of their wines since their very first vintage and tell anyone who will listen that if you want to taste what modern McLaren Vale wines are all about then this is who you need to try.

Their home block, the highly decorated Rayner Vineyard, which straddles the Blewitt Springs and Seaview sub-regions of The Vale, was originally planted back in the 1950s but the Bondar family chapter in that vineyard's story will be its most significant. Dre and Sel's wines are honest and vibrant, built more on freshness and digestibility rather than raw South Australian power.

They make brilliant, vibrant Grenache, balanced and concentrated Shiraz, elegant Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, and one of the country's most bankable Rose wines plus a raft of small-batch alternative varieties. Their range nails quality and drinkability at every turn.

Andre & Selina Bondar - McLaren Vale, SA Discover Bondar Wines

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