Bondar Hope Springs Eternal Grenache 2023

Phenomenally complex with tar, English summer fruits, blackcurrant, sweet and savoury spice, cola, blood orange and mixed flowers. It’s very expressive from the aromatics to the finish, the palate, succulent and silky, yet the tannins authoritative. Such a serious grenache, without the loss of sensuality. Long, long, long. Amazing. Norris at Waters Wine Co

Hope Springs Eternal is a new project for us. It essentially an attempt to produce great wine, from vineyard sites we believe to be amongst the best for that variety in the region. For Grenache, this means fruit from the heart of Blewitt Springs, at higher altitudes with deep sandy soils. From the Trott Wilpena Vineyard in the highest part of Blewitt Springs, a benchmark site for the variety in the region in our opinion. This is a spectacular site, around 200m+ elevation, a steep east-facing block of 80 year old dry grown vines in deep sand.

The 2023 vintage was the third La Nina vintage in a row in South Australia, producing the coolest conditions we have seen in McLaren Vale for decades. Yields were again poor, particularly in Grenache which doesn’t set fruit well when challenged by wind and cold weather. Persistent rain events through Spring made disease pressure much higher than usual,with extra diligence required in the vineyard to prevent crop and quality loss. The cooler conditions led to another late year, with harvest 2-3 weeks later than the previous decades averages. Generally, the conditions were much more marginal, not a problem we are used to facing in sunny McLaren Vale. Marginal viticulture can produce magnificent results, and the wines of 2023 are an example of this. The acids are predictably quite high, and the long hang time has led to delicious flavour. Most exciting of all though is the immense purity in the wines, high toned freshness with great focus.

Winemaking: The parcel was split into two ferments, one with 80% whole bunches, and the other with 10% whole bunches. The former spent two weeks on skins, the latter four weeks, and each parcel around 10 months in seasoned Stockinger demi-muid (600L) oak barrels. The Trott vineyard tends to have a darker fruit profile, with great power and structure. It is a Grenache that needs time to come together, to soften and show its true beauty. We hope that this in turn will help it to age for a long time, to hang tight to its freshness and vitality over many years. Producer’s Notes