PERSONAL NOTE:

The photo was taken by Kevin Short at The Burning Man festival in USA. I think this photo portrays the wine perfectly. Mourvedre can be a very tannic/gritty wine and the photo of Kevin’s wife on her bicycle in the desert is a great analogy for the wine and its fine tannins. I enjoy the Pixies and their song “Monkey gone to Heaven” and I think works well with this photo. The main theme of the song is environmentalism, and the song deals with man’s “confusion of man’s place in the universe”, which is perfect for this photo, its location and the people behind it.

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, SE, 150m

VITICULTURE:

Bush vines planted in the 2001 and organically farmed, they are situated on slightly more clay rich “Koffie Klipp” soils of the Abbotsdale region on the foot slopes of the Paardeberg, this is a 1ha block we share with good friend and winemaker Jurgen Gouws who farms the block. 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% Mourvedre

YIELDS: 30hl/ha

VINIFICATION:

Hand-harvested, 100% whole bunch fermented for 9 days in open tanks, where it is then pressed and aged in three 500L French barrel. No yeast added, ambient fermentation. 100% malolactic fermentation (mlf bacteria not added). Unfined and a light clarifying filtration was done. We do feel this vineyard is still feeling the effects of the preceding years tougher vintages, but are extremely happy with the resulting fruit clarity on this wine.

TECHNICAL:

Alc            12.62%
TA            4.24g/l
pH            3.67
RS             1.9g/l
VA            0.52g/l
fSO₂         11ppm
tSO₂         12ppm