COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2023
GRAPE
Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre
PRODUCER
Testalonga
REGION
Western Cape
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Short
Intensity
Medium
Tannins
Medium - Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Testalonga Banditskloof Vin Rouge Paysan is a 2023 natural red wine from the Swartland region of South Africa. It is produced by Testalonga, the project of Craig and Carla Hawkins, who are dedicated to low-intervention winemaking. Their philosophy centers on using only grapes and indigenous yeasts, with no fining or filtration, aiming to express the vineyard's terroir. The wine is a blend of Cinsault, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, grown on organically farmed, dry-farmed bush vines.
ALCOHOL
12.5%
AVG. PRICE
€18
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now
Ideal temperature
12-13°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
The name 'Testalonga' is a nod to a Sicilian rebel winemaker.
Fact 02
Grapes are grown on old bush vines, a traditional and resilient viticultural practice.
Fact 03
This wine is bottled with a very small dose of sulfur dioxide, or none at all.
Fact 04
The producer's philosophy is to make wine from 'grapes and nothing else'.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The Testalonga Banditskloof Vin Rouge Paysan is made from hand-harvested grapes that are destemmed and fermented on their skins in open vats for 14-18 days. The wine then spends six months aging in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and tank. It is bottled without filtration and with a very small addition of sulfur dioxide, adhering to a low-intervention winemaking philosophy.
