R1,800 - R3,000
2019 Testalonga El Bandito Skin (750ml) x 6 bottles - Provenance: Restaurant Mosaic Wine Cellar Collection
Testalonga was set up by Craig and Carla Hawkins in 2008. They began their own vineyard project back in 2015, when they moved to a farm called Banditskloof. With the sole aim to make wines from grapes and nothing else, they farm organically and/or biodynamically. Craig notes "The “Skin” is our proudest wine being the first wine we bottled and made in 2008. The wine has come a long way and each year provides us with new flavours. We have toned down on the extraction and have now stopped experimenting as much as we used to. We have found our sweet spot that we enjoy for Skin Macerated whites and enjoy the balance we get from these flavours. We have reduced the length of time we leave the wines on the skin as the goal here is to find elegance and focus within this particular style which we love." Hand harvested. Destemmed 100% into 1500L open fermenters. Fermented for 8 days on the skins before being pressed into one 3000L Foudre. No yeast inoculation fermented at ambient temperature. 100% malolactic fermentation (not inoculated). A true orange wine with eight days on skins. Of Hawkin’s white wines, this appears to have the most weight and depth although with an alcohol of 11.78%, it’s still light by most standards. Lovely texture and freshness. Rich and savoury with bruised apple, citrus fruit, orange peel and peach aromas, hints of nuts and dried flowers. James Suckling 92/100
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
| 1 to 10000: | 23% inc VAT* |
| 10001+: | 19.55% inc VAT* |
