Special-release Chenin Blanc crafted by South African icons of natural wine. A salty, fruit-forward expression of oceanside vines!

About Testalonga

Craig and Carla Hawkins launched Testalonga in the north of Swartland, South Africa in 2008.

They are part of a revolutionary ground swell taking place in South African wine, where traditions are being challenged and brave new territory is being explored. The painfully small amount of wine that this duo produces gets snapped up in short order the world over. Known for their striking intensity and nervy energy, Craig and Carla’s wines are on the cutting edge of the natural wine movement in their country.

About The Wine

Winemakers Craig and Carla Hawkins originally made this Mangum-only release of Chenin Blanc for a select group of somms in Norway (“Lekker” means ‘awesome’ in both Norwegian and Afrikaans). They make a tiny bit more these days, but it still gets snapped up fast!

The vineyard behind this Chenin belongs to Carla’s family, with the couple stepping in to save the vines just before they were meant to be ripped up to make way for a potato farm. Closer to the ocean than any of the other Testalonga vineyards, there’s a real salinity that comes through on the palate.

The grapes are hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts, bottled unfined and with only a small dose of sulphur just prior to bottling.