Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz 2024

There is something wonderfully evocative about the name Bondar Violet Hour Shiraz. It was born from a particular moment: in 2012, Andre Bondar, his wife Selina Kelly and a small group of family and friends had just finished hand picking their first Shiraz grapes. As the working day faded, the McLaren Vale sky turned violet, and that fleeting period between daylight and darkness gave the wine its name. 

Origins

Bondar Wines is based at the historic Rayner Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, one of South Australia's great homes for Shiraz. The vineyard is particularly important to the character of Violet Hour, with old vines, some dating back to the 1940s and others planted across the 1950s, growing in a fascinating mix of deep sandy soils, ironstone and clay over limestone. Rather than attempting to make a powerful, heavily extracted McLaren Vale Shiraz, Andre Bondar looks for something more fragrant, energetic and finely detailed. His philosophy is simple: let the vineyard and the fruit speak before the winemaker does.

Winemaking

That philosophy is evident in the cellar. Violet Hour is made from fruit across multiple blocks of the Rayner Vineyard, each with its own aspect, soil and personality. Some parcels are fermented as whole bunches, while others are destemmed, with the length of time on skins adjusted according to the character of each lot and the conditions of the vintage. Mature, seasoned oak is used for élevage, generally for around ten months, providing shape and integration without allowing oak to become the story. The result is Shiraz with a remarkable sense of transparency: winemaking is present, but never intrusive.

Tasting

In the glass, Violet Hour is immediately aromatic. Expect violets and lifted florals alongside blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, plum, pepper and subtle spice. There is often an appealing savoury dimension beneath the fruit, with hints of anise, earth and warm spice adding complexity. On the palate, the wine occupies that increasingly desirable middle ground between richness and restraint. It has enough concentration to announce itself as McLaren Vale Shiraz, yet enough freshness and acidity to remain bright and effortless. Silky tannins provide structure rather than weight, while the finish is savoury, persistent and quietly seductive.

Awards and Accolades

This balance has not gone unnoticed. Violet Hour has developed an impressive record with critics and competitions, including multiple 97-point James Halliday ratings, appearances in Halliday's Top 100 Wines, and a succession of strong recent scores. The 2023 vintage received 96 points, while the 2024 vintage was also awarded 96 points and selected for the Australian Top 100. Earlier vintages have collected an extraordinary run of accolades, including the Best Shiraz, Best Single-Vineyard Shiraz and Best Small Producer trophies at the 2017 McLaren Vale Wine Show. Bondar itself was also named James Halliday's Best New Winery in 2017, reinforcing the reputation that Violet Hour helped establish.

Yet awards are really only part of the story. What makes Violet Hour compelling is the confidence to challenge the idea that great Australian Shiraz needs to be big, dense and dominated by oak. Bondar's version is more nuanced: perfumed rather than muscular, juicy rather than jammy, structured rather than heavy. It is a modern expression of McLaren Vale that retains the region's generosity while bringing freshness, elegance and a distinctly European sensibility to the glass.