Testalonga El Bandito | Sweet Cheeks

Origin: Swartland, South Africa
Grape: Muscat of Alexandria
ABV: 12%
Vintage: 2022
Bottle size: 750ml

From Testalonga: 

A 100% Muscat d'Alexandrie cuvée, from old vines pruned in the traditional gobelet method, farmed biodynamically, planted in the 1960s, and formerly owned by Tom Lubbe of Matassa! Located at 200 metres altitude on a granitic soil. The vines are not irrigated, zero chemicals are used, and grapes are harvested manually. The grapes are destemmed followed by 10 days of maceration, then a slow, gentle pressing to preserve the fruit flavours, and matured in old 500-litre barrels. Neither filtered nor fined, with a micro dose of sulphur at bottling.

The name comes from the children who every year love to pick at the sweet berries and eat them, hence “sweet cheeks”.  Probably the most fragrant wine we make. Hanepoot (Muscat Alexandrie) is actually a table grape and meant for eating but we did an experiment in 2013 with skin contact to try and extract the flavour and it has made one of our most refreshing wines to drink.