2023 Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz
2023 Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz

2023 Bondar Midnight Hour Shiraz

Bondar |McLaren Vale |Shiraz
Stunning block selection Shiraz from the iconic Rayner Vineyard in McLaren Vale. An iron fist in a velvet glove.
Price:
$48.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The 2023 Midnight Hour Shiraz is Bondar at its best - delivering a modern twist on classic McLaren Vale Shiraz. Sourced from two blocks within the esteemed Rayner Vineyard, planted in 1960 and 1990, this wine speaks of place, soil, and the hands-off approach of Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly. With a tiny production of just over 90 dozen, this is a rare treat.

The 2023 vintage was the coolest in decades, allowing the grapes to spend extra time on the vine, resulting in a Shiraz of remarkable complexity and flavour. Whole bunches were incorporated into the fermentation, giving the wine a savoury, herbal edge. Maturation in used French oak for 15 months further enhances its character without overpowering the fruit.

On the nose, expect the Vale’s signature dark fruit, but here with an earthy, herbal twist. The palate is refined, tasting of the soil rather than oak, with flavours of dusty blackberry, black cherry, and a touch of wild thyme. Its texture is silky yet firm, leading into a long, savoury, and slightly salty finish.

This is another stunning modern McLaren Vale Shiraz from Bondar. Enjoy it now or let it develop further over the next decade or so in the cellar.

The Shiraz grapes for Midnight Hour are sourced from two blocks in Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly's own Rayner Vineyard. Planted in 1960 and 1990 on the Seaview side of the vineyard on red/brown clay over limestone, these vines are farmed using organic principles and without irrigation where possible. The soil and age of the vines result in smaller, more open canopies that allow for lots of sunlight to reach the developing bunches. This ensures that stems used in the fermentation are lignified, increasing the complexity of the finished wine.

The 2023 season followed the La Niña pattern of the preceding two years, meaning conditions were cool, particularly in summer and autumn. In fact, it was the coolest season for decades in McLaren Vale. Once again, yields were low, and harvest came late, with fruit coming off the vine two to three weeks later than the previous decade’s average. Cool conditions meant Bondar’s Shiraz spent a lengthy spell on the vine, developing complexity to match the low-yield flavour intensity. Andre Bondar incorporates full stems into the Midnight Hour ferments, a technique he picked up in the Northern Rhône. Maturation takes place in used French oak over a 15-month period. It’s a complex wine of deep flavour, silky yet firm texture and an alluring, pure-fruited profile.

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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