COLOUR
Orange
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2022
GRAPE
Chenin Blanc
PRODUCER
Testalonga
REGION
Western Cape
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
Medium
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
El Bandito 'Skin' is the flagship skin-contact Chenin Blanc from Testalonga, established in 2008 by Craig and Carla Hawkins in the Swartland region of South Africa. Sourced from old bush vines planted in 1971 on the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg mountain, this wine is celebrated as South Africa's first modern orange wine. Craig Hawkins, often called the rebel of South African wine, fought regulatory battles to get 'skin-macerated white wine' officially recognized as a legal category. The label artwork changes with every vintage to reflect the unique feeling of the wine.
ALCOHOL
13.0%
AVG. PRICE
€40
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
10-12°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
It was the first modern skin-contact orange wine produced in South Africa, paving the way for a new legal wine category.
Fact 02
The winery name Testalonga is named after an Italian bandit and rebellious winemaker who made red wines like whites.
Fact 03
The label artwork changes completely with every single vintage to match the unique feeling of that year's wine.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process is strictly low-intervention. Grapes are hand-harvested and 100% destemmed but not crushed into 1,500L open-top fermenters. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with wild yeasts and no temperature control, enzymes, or acid adjustments. The juice macerates on the skins for 7 to 14 days before being pressed into old, neutral French oak foudres for 11 months of aging. The wine undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation and is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions (around 25 mg/L) before bottling.
