PERSONAL NOTE:

This wine used to be called “Redemption” however we have now moved on from that period in our life and re named the wine The Dark Side. It is probably our most simple label, but I find it very powerful and fitting to the grape Syrah, as it is very black and white. The vineyard is a small 0.75ha block which fits into our framework perfectly. We are very happy with the purity that we have achieved from this block

NAME OF ESTATE/DOMAINE: TESTALONGA                            

NAME OF VIGNERON: Craig & Carla Hawkins

VINTAGE: 2020

CELLAR LOCATION: Bandits Kloof, Eendekuil, Piketberg, Swartland

CLIMATE: Dry Mediterranean

TERROIR: Decomposed Granite, South East facing, 200m above sea level, from the Paardeberg.

VITICULTURE:

Organically farmed bush vines planted in 2001, the soils have a higher clay content than a lot of the other parcels I get from which helps with water retention which is a good thing in the very dry years. Not a lot of suckering is done to promote leaf growth. 2020 Vintage was a good one for us as we had another relatively wet winter which led to a tricky start to the growing season with regards to disease pressure, once that was overcome the resulting grapes were healthy and of a good yield and balance.

GRAPE: 100% Syrah

YIELDS: 40hl/ha

VINIFICATION:

Hand-harvested then fermented with 100% whole bunches in open 1500L tanks. Pressed after 8 days and matured in one 500L old French oak barrels. No added yeast or acid. SO2 added a month before bottling, un-fined and a light clarifying filtration was done. There is a great purity of fruit this year and even though the wine is of lighter touch it has great depth.

TECHNICAL:

Alc            12.07%
TA            4.74g/l
pH            3.65
RS             1.6g/l
VA            0.55g/l
fSO₂         10ppm
tSO₂         12ppm