{"title":"Testalonga","description":"\u003cp\u003eCraig and Carla Hawkins make Testalonga in South Africa’s Swartland, working with organically farmed vineyards and a focus on freshness, texture and a sense of place. Chenin Blanc is at the heart of the collection, from bright, precise whites to expressive wines fermented on their skins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplore the Baby Bandito and El Bandito ranges, including Keep on Punching, Stay Brave, Cortez and Skin, alongside lively reds such as Follow Your Dreams Carignan and Chin Up. A compelling introduction to modern South African wine, with plenty for curious drinkers to discover.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"testalonga-baby-bandito-keep-on-punching-chenin-blanc-2025","title":"Testalonga Baby Bandito Keep on Punching Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig Hawkins is one of the people who changed the way we think about South African wine. After working with Eben Sadie and spending time in Europe with producers including Tom Lubbe of Matassa, he started Testalonga in 2008. Today, together with his wife Carla, he makes some of the most exciting wines coming out of the Swartland, with a particular love for old vines, organic farming and a lighter, fresher style of winemaking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKeep on Punching is his beautifully pure expression of Chenin Blanc, coming from a single vineyard planted back in 1961 in Piketberg. The old bush vines grow on sandstone soils and are harvested six separate times to find just the right balance of ripeness and acidity. The wine is whole-bunch pressed and spends 11 months on lees, partly in stainless steel and partly in large oak foudre.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2025 is looking fantastic. Pear, white peach, dried herbs and a lovely mineral character, with plenty of texture but nothing heavy about it. Bright, precise and wonderfully dry, with the sort of freshness that makes Swartland Chenin so appealing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA seriously good little Chenin, and one of the best places to start exploring Testalonga.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932117733569,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_Baby_Bandito_Keep_on_Punching_Chenin_Blanc_2025.png?v=1794283873"},{"product_id":"testalonga-baby-bandito-stay-brave-chenin-blanc-2025","title":"Testalonga Baby Bandito Stay Brave Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig Hawkins has been making skin-contact Chenin Blanc in the Swartland since long before orange wine became a familiar sight on wine lists. His Testalonga project, which he runs alongside his wife Carla, has become one of South Africa's most celebrated independent wineries. Craig has always preferred wines with freshness, texture and a real sense of place, rather than power or extraction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStay Brave comes from Chenin Blanc bush vines planted in 1981 on the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg. For the 2025, the grapes spend 14 days fermenting on their skins before being pressed and aged for 11 months on lees in fibreglass tanks. No oak here, allowing the fruit and the lovely natural texture from the skins to do all the talking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA beautiful light golden colour, with notes of fresh apple, orange peel, ginger and a little spice. There's a gentle chalky grip on the palate, plenty of acidity and a wonderfully dry finish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of those orange wines that reminds us why we love the category so much. Interesting enough for the curious drinker, but incredibly easy to enjoy with a good meal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932127039681,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_Baby_Bandito_Stay_Brave_Chenin_Blanc_2025.png?v=1794283844"},{"product_id":"testalonga-baby-bandito-chin-up-2025","title":"Testalonga Baby Bandito Chin Up 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig and Carla Hawkins have made Testalonga one of the great success stories of the Swartland. Craig's approach to winemaking has always been a little different, favouring organic vineyards, gentle extraction and wines with plenty of freshness. His Baby Bandito range captures that philosophy particularly well, offering some seriously good drinking without needing a special occasion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChin Up is a blend of 90% Cinsault and 10% Tannat from dry-farmed bush vines planted in 1981 on the granite soils of the Paardeberg. The grapes are fermented together, with two weeks of gentle extraction, before the wine spends 11 months on fine lees in a large concrete tank. The little addition of Tannat is particularly clever, bringing extra acidity and structure without taking away from the lovely delicate character of Cinsault.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe result is a beautifully juicy, light-bodied red with plenty of fresh fruit, a little crunch and just enough tannin to keep things interesting. Nothing heavy, nothing overworked, just a really delicious glass of wine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGive it a little time in the fridge and enjoy it slightly chilled. Exactly the sort of red we want around for the Australian summer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932134576321,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_Baby_Bandito_Chin_Up_2025.png?v=1794283806"},{"product_id":"testalonga-baby-bandito-follow-your-dreams-carignan-2025","title":"Testalonga Baby Bandito Follow Your Dreams Carignan 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTestalonga is the work of Craig and Carla Hawkins, two of the most interesting people in South African wine. Since starting the project in 2008, Craig has become known for his beautifully fresh, expressive wines from organically farmed vineyards in the Swartland. His experience working with Eben Sadie and Tom Lubbe helped shape a style that has very little in common with the big, powerful reds South Africa was once famous for.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFollow Your Dreams is made entirely from Carignan grown in the Paardeberg. For the 2025, Craig has used 100% whole-bunch fermentation before ageing the wine for 11 months in concrete, keeping all that lovely fruit and freshness intact.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd what a lovely wine this is. Fresh cherries, raspberries, pomegranate, white pepper and the distinctive herbal notes of the local fynbos. Light-bodied but with plenty of flavour, bright acidity and beautifully fine tannins. There's a little savoury complexity too, making it much more interesting than your average easy-drinking red.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA fantastic summer red, particularly with a slight chill. We have a feeling this one won't last long.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932599619777,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_Baby_Bandito_Follow_Your_Dreams_Carignan_2025.png?v=1794283773"},{"product_id":"testalonga-el-bandito-cortez-chenin-blanc-2025","title":"Testalonga El Bandito Cortez Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig Hawkins has been at the forefront of South Africa's new generation of winemakers for nearly two decades. After working with Eben Sadie and spending time alongside some of Europe's most thoughtful producers, he established Testalonga in 2008. Today, together with his wife Carla, he produces an extraordinary collection of wines from old vineyards across the Swartland. And when it comes to Chenin Blanc, Cortez is one of his most important wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fruit comes from a vineyard planted in 1972 in the Paardeberg, organically farmed since 2001. The soils are particularly rich in quartz, something Craig believes gives this wine its unmistakable tension and remarkable ability to age. The 2025 was matured partly in old 500-litre barrels and partly in stainless steel, before spending a further nine months in large oak foudre.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere's a wonderful complexity here. Pear, peach, green apple, dried herbs and delicate floral notes, with beautifully concentrated fruit and a long, precise, slightly pithy finish. Everything feels incredibly well balanced, with the acidity carrying the wine right through to the end.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig considers Cortez perhaps his most complex and age-worthy Chenin Blanc, and we can certainly understand the affection. A magnificent expression of old-vine Swartland Chenin that should have a very interesting future in the cellar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e98 Points | Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932604043457,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_El_Bandito_Cortez_Chenin_Blanc_2025.png?v=1794283744"},{"product_id":"testalonga-el-bandito-skin-chenin-blanc-2025","title":"Testalonga El Bandito Skin Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew wines have played a bigger role in changing the perception of South African wine than Testalonga's Skin. Craig Hawkins began experimenting with skin-contact Chenin Blanc when the style was almost unheard of in the country, and his early wines were famously rejected by the authorities for not fitting the established rules. Nearly two decades later, Craig and Carla's Testalonga project is recognised around the world, and Skin remains one of their most important wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2025 comes from Chenin Blanc vines planted in 1972 in the Paardeberg. Over the years, Craig has refined his approach to skin contact, gradually reducing maceration times to achieve more elegance and precision. This vintage spends 14 days on skins, enough to develop beautiful texture and complexity while retaining the freshness that makes these wines so special.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHoneysuckle, ripe peach, apricot, ginger and a little beeswax, with the lovely herbal character of the Swartland running through it. The palate has wonderful depth, initially creamy and generous before finishing dry, savoury and beautifully fresh.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA benchmark South African skin-contact wine, and a bottle that shows just how fascinating Chenin Blanc can become in the right hands.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e97 Points | Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932610302145,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_El_Bandito_Skin_Chenin_Blanc_2025.png?v=1794283715"},{"product_id":"testalonga-el-bandito-lords-of-dogtown-chenin-blanc-2025","title":"Testalonga El Bandito Lords of Dogtown Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCraig and Carla Hawkins have spent years proving that the Swartland can produce some of the most exciting white wines anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Their Testalonga project has become particularly famous for its Chenin Blanc, with Craig exploring the variety through different vineyards, soils and winemaking techniques. The results are always full of personality, but freshness remains at the heart of everything he does.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLords of Dogtown is one of the more limited releases in the El Bandito collection, made entirely from Chenin Blanc grown in the Paardeberg. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts, without sulphur additions during fermentation, and aged in stainless steel to preserve its lovely purity and energy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2025 has a beautiful combination of citrus and stone fruit, with green apple, lemon zest, peach, apricot, ginger and a touch of the region's distinctive fynbos. There's real concentration here, but the acidity is absolutely fantastic, giving the wine a wonderfully lively, mineral-driven palate and a long, completely dry finish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA brilliant Chenin Blanc for those who enjoy their whites with plenty of tension and character. Limited quantities available, and certainly one of the more interesting bottles in this year's Testalonga release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e95 Points | Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"appellance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50932619542721,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3428\/0897\/files\/Testalonga_El_Bandito_Lords_of_Dogtown_Chenin_Blanc_2025.png?v=1794283690"}],"url":"https:\/\/appellance.com\/collections\/testalonga-wines.oembed","provider":"Appellance","version":"1.0","type":"link"}