Why it matters
The producer
The Hawkinses make Testalonga in South Africa’s Swartland, working with Chenin Blanc as a central grape while planting Mediterranean varieties at Bandits Kloof. Their stated aim is wine made solely from grapes. In practice, that directs attention to vineyard fruit and fermentation: a Chenin can show citrus and pear, or gain grip and deeper colour when its skins stay with the juice.
Testalonga began with a decision that was visible in the first glass: Chenin Blanc was macerated on skins for four weeks. Craig and Carla Hawkins later began planting Bandits Kloof, a property that had not previously been planted to vines, with Mediterranean varieties as the focus. The project therefore moved from rented parcels of Chenin and other fruit toward a newer planted source, while keeping the same interest in grape material, skin contact and site-led bottlings.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Swartland is the regional address on the label, but Testalonga’s fruit does not come from one uniform block. The Hawkinses have rented Paardeberg vineyards and Piketberg vineyards, then added Bandits Kloof plantings from 2018. Those separate sites allow Chenin Blanc and Mediterranean varieties to enter different cuvées, so a bottle can show its grape and handling without pretending every vineyard tastes alike.
Eleven hectares of rented Paardeberg vines grow on granite, while four hectares in Piketberg sit on sandstone. Bandits Kloof is described through slate and sandstone soils, where the first vineyards were planted in 2018. These are physical distinctions rather than label decoration: different ground and separate vineyards provide the raw material for wines ranging from direct, fruit-led whites to skin-contact Chenin with more tannin and texture.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Every vineyard Craig Hawkins has farmed, owned or rented, has been organic from the outset, and winter cover crops are planted throughout the vineyards. Cover crops keep living growth between the rows in winter; the consequence in the winery is not a promised flavour, but fruit grown under a consistent farming approach before it is picked for dry wines.
Wild fermentation, gentle maceration and a mix of stainless steel, concrete tanks and old 400- or 500-litre oak barrels shape the cellar work. Stainless steel can keep a white wine’s citrus and apple notes direct; concrete and old oak can broaden its body without an obvious new-oak flavour. When skins remain with Chenin, they also bring colour, savoury notes and a light tannin grip that changes the finish.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range is arranged as cuvée families rather than a formal ladder. Mielie is the more approachable line, Baby Bandito occupies a medium-bodied space, El Bandito carries more structure, and Bandits Kloof draws on the newer Mediterranean-variety plantings. That structure gives a useful choice between lighter fruit and more substantial texture, rather than asking every bottle to do the same job.
Mielie Testalonga Banditskloof comes from the newer vineyard direction, while Baby Bandito Keep on Punching keeps Chenin Blanc in view. The 2024 Keep on Punching listing includes Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc; the 2025 wine is documented as 100% Chenin Blanc from Bandits Kloof. Chenin Blanc de Maceration takes the grape toward skin-contact structure, where citrus and stone fruit can be joined by earthier, more savoury grip.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with Mielie Testalonga Banditskloof. It connects the newer Bandits Kloof vineyard project with the Mielie family’s more approachable role, while documented Mielie Green material shows concrete-tank ageing rather than a new-oak frame. Expect dry citrus, green apple and yellow pear, with floral notes, a rounded mid-palate and acidity that keeps the finish clean. It introduces the producer’s newer planted source before moving into the more tannic Chenin Blanc de Maceration or the fuller El Bandito wines.