2023 Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache

Highly Rated
Stunning single vineyard Grenache from one of the stars of McLaren Vale.
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
3 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$40.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship

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Description

There are only 0.7ha of beautiful 40+ year-old Grenache vines on the Rayner Block. The public knows the vineyard for its supreme Shiraz, but many a winemaker have sought it for its stunning Grenache.

This is the top red wine in the Bondar range for a reason. As with all of the best modern styles of Grenache coming out of McLaren Vale, the emphasis here is squarely placed on making a fresh, aromatic yet powerful style of wine that tells the story of vintage through the lens of this noble grape.

With only a limited amount made, you'll have to be quick if you want to find out what he's talking about. Drink some now, keep some for later, we have a feeling this will be something pretty special in a few years time. Another win for the Bondars and for all McLaren Vale Grenache lovers!

95 points
"Very good Grenache here, it’s lively and gently herbal, raspberry, ripe cherry and almond, quite some spice and dried flower perfume too, a fair bit of mint. Juicy ripe cherry and red fruit, the tannin is a little raspy and stony, and really adds something to the wine. There’s also some raspberry friand sweetness, and it offers mouth-perfume, and excellent length. It’s crisp, but flavoursome. It’s not Blewitt or Clarendon, but gee, it makes an emphatic statement about how good McLaren Vale Grenache can be. So lovely. Juicy juicy, Nice nice."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

We really want the Rayner Grenache to be pretty, yet savoury, and generally a more elegant expression of the variety. We believe that this is what our 1970 block wants to produce so we just try to let it express itself as best as we can. To help achieve this we pick a little earlier than some would in order to catch the red fruits and herb. We also want this wine to be long lived, to have a tightness and structure for age. We use some whole bunch (around 20% in total) for some extra tannin from stalks, and this also gives us extra layers of complexity to the flavours. Hand-picked fruit, wild yeast ferments, 20% whole bunches, fermented and aged for around 6 months in ceramic eggs and old French barrels. Unfined, unfiltered, bottled in December 2023.

95 points - "Very good Grenache here, it’s lively and gently herbal, raspberry, ripe cherry and almond, quite some spice and dried flower perfume too, a fair bit of mint. Juicy ripe cherry and red fruit, the tannin is a little raspy and stony, and really adds something to the wine. There’s also some raspberry friand sweetness, and it offers mouth-perfume, and excellent length. It’s crisp, but flavoursome. It’s not Blewitt or Clarendon, but gee, it makes an emphatic statement about how good McLaren Vale Grenache can be. So lovely. Juciy juicy, Nice nice." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 3 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 3 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
3 reviews
  • RC
    Robert C.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Another great Grenache

    I have enjoyed drinking a wide range of The Vale Grenache wine recently.

    The 2021 vintage is top drawer.

    The Bondar Rayner is at the lower end of the price range but the quality exceeds its price substantially.

    I would recommend this wine.

  • N
    Neil
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    2 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great Grenache

    Wow! I planned to hang onto it for a while but no … certainly one of the better Grenache I’ve tried over the past year or two. Loving the flavours and texture. Very good value for money.

  • PB
    Peter B.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    2 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Quality Grenache

    I've had better (read quite a bit more expensive) Grenache but am happy to go five stars on this for the quality of wine you get for the price. Mclaren Vale, hand-picked from 50 yo vines, it walks the tightrope between drinkability and gravitas with aplomb. Lovely food wine. High value.

Reviews LoadedReviews Added

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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