Craig 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.

The 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.

There'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.

Craig 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.

98 Points | Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za