Testalonga Baby Bandito Keep on Punching Chenin Blanc 2025
Craig 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.
Keep 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.
The 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.
A seriously good little Chenin, and one of the best places to start exploring Testalonga.
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