Testalongo Baby Bandito 'Stay Brave' Skin Contact

Chenin Blanc

Swartland, South Africa

Testalonga is owned by Craig and Carla Hawkins. It was established in 2008 with the first wine being a four-week, skin-macerated Chenin blanc. The Hawkins' currently rent 11ha of organically farmed vineyards, all growing on the granite soils of the Paardeberg, and 4ha on the sandstone soils of the Piketberg. In 2015 they purchased a farm on the slate/sandstone soils of the northern mountains of the Swartland called Bandits Kloof. The first vineyards were planted there in 2018, the focus being Mediterranean grape varieties.

Baby Bandito is a project that started in 2015. Craig & Carla wanted to work with vineyards that deliver wines that can be drunk young yet still “over deliver". The labels are heavily influenced by street artists. The names of the wines come from expressions that are used as if giving encouragement to a child.

Hand harvested & 100% destemmed into 1500L fermenters. Fermented on the skins for 8 days and
pressed off into 1 x 3300L old oak foudre and 1 x 1500L barrels. After 4 months the wine was blended & aged in a 10,000L fibreglass tank. No yeast (or other) inoculation or additives apart from a small amount of SO2 shortly before bottling.