Testalonga, El Bandito, Queen of Spades, Swartland, South Africa

Craig and Carla Hawkins' wines seem to get better with every vintage. They make beautiful, poised, satisfying and utterly lovely wines from low yielding vines mainly growing on granitic soils in Swartland. Often using techniques including whole bunch ferments, extended skin contact and old oak foudres, with just a touch of sulphites at bottling, these are lovely, almost delicate wines that are a million miles from the stereotypical blockbuster South African wines you may be used too.

They are now getting incredibly sought after and we have to be quick on our feet to get an allocation each year.

These Tinto Amarela vines were planted in 1999 into granite soil. Hand harvested and 100% of the pick is whole bunch fermented for 15 days in an open tank, they are then pressed and aged in 300l French oak barrels. Wild yeast fermentations and malolactic.

Producer - Testalonga
Country - South Africa
Region - Swartland
Variety / Blend - Tinto Amarela
Wine Style - Red Wine
Farming - Organic    
Vegan