Testalonga Keep On Punching 2019

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The Testalonga Keep On Punching is a pure wine, with a nice weight the wine has aromas of pear, apple and white peach plus potpourri and a touch of earthiness. On the palate, you’ll find a freshly opened box of Maldon sea salt, but it’s light and extremely flavourful and full of zipping and zing.

Craig Hawkins and his wife Carla, the winemakers at Testalonga, have been experimenting with winemaking techniques for years, developing a style that they are comfortable with – producing finest sustainable, natural wines in South Africa. They make around 40,000 bottles, using a variety of grapes under two labels: Testalonga El Bandito and Baby Bandito. Craig has never been part of the mainstream, even in Swartland, but that is because he is not imitating anyone. He has a clear goal – to make sustainable wines for his own satisfaction and to his own taste, rather than track the market. His independent and uncompromising approach has not always endeared him to South African authorities and he has been shunned by various critics and wine writers. This is the reason Testalonga wines are the finest South African wines.

The Testalonga Keep On Punching Chenin vines were planted in 1972, a bush vine (un-trellised), farmed organically. This is a block they have worked with for some time (at previous jobs) and it always gives very small clusters that are full of concentration and high natural acidity. The soil is very exposed (lots of rocks) and this comes through in the wines backbone.

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