2021 Testalonga El Bandito Lords of Dogtown

WINEMAKER: Craig & Carla Hawkins
REGION: Swartland, SA
VARIETAL: Chenin Blanc
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

"Our farm, Bandits Kloof, is now a blank canvas and can be quite a demanding place at times. It’s definitely a challenge in a positive way but is a bit “rough” at the moment. We have friendly nicknamed it “Dog town” as the animals (baboons, donkeys, cattle, dogs) are or seem to want to be in charge. The photo was taken by Carla on one of our walks, and the donkeys and cattle all seemed to be posing for the camera as if it was a photo shoot. The owner of the vineyard Carl Malherbe has 2ha of vineyard which when he brought the farm was abandoned, we worked together and are in the process of getting the 2 blocks back into production, Carl being a cattle auctioneer always jokingly asks when I’m going to put an Nguni on the label, so the photo just fitted." - Craig

During the apartheid, the South African wine industry was completely dominated by one organization, which controlled everything from production to price. Modern day renegades, Craig & Carla Hawkins, established Testalonga in 2008 and shook the industry to its core. Settling in Swartland, they started with two barrels of macerated chenin - the first 'orange' wine made in South Africa. The deeply conservative authorities often rejected their wines for export for not exhibiting 'typicity' of South African wine.