Testalonga - El Bandito Queen of Spades Tinta Amarela 2019
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Testalonga - El Bandito Queen of Spades Tinta Amarela 2019
CRAIG'S PERSONAL NOTE:
We came across this vineyard (0.1ha) through our good friend Rick Mcgrindle, a farmer from Abbotsdale/Paardeberg region. Thought to be Tempranillo when planted but turned out to be Tinta Amarela, which is a grape I personally love from my experiences of working in Portugal. The label is a photo taken by one of our friends Bryan Short's brother (Kevin Short) during his time spent at Burning Man in the USA. I adapted the photo to portray a perception of a “Love/Hate” relationship between the Queen of Spades and the Queen of Hearts.
NAME OF VIGNERON: Craig Hawkins
VINTAGE: 2019
CELLAR LOCATION Bandits Kloof, Eendekuil, Piketberg, Swartland
(MICRO)CLIMATE: Mediterranean
TERROIR: Decomposed Granite, East facing, 150m above sea level, from the Abbotsdale/Paardeberg region.
VITICULTURE:
Dry land bush vines planted in 1999, organically farmed, no shoot thinning is done, rather leaves are left to provide shade which I find brings more elegance to the wine. Cover cropping with legumous nitrogen fixing plants is done every year. There are only 300 vines so it is tough to manage this on such a small scale but we try our best to fill a barrel every year.
GRAPE: 100% Tinta Amarela
YIELDS: 20hl/ha
VINIFICATION:
Hand-harvested, 100% whole bunch fermented for 15 days in open tank, where it was then pressed and aged in one 300l French barrel. No yeast added, ambient fermentation. 100% malolactic fermentation (mlf bacteria not added). Unfined, light clarifying filtration. SO2 added after racking in August and then none at bottling. The wine has a great definition to it at that sets apart from our other wines, and we think this comes from the stem tannin that lifts it and the fruit profile with it.
TECHNICAL:
Alc 11.17%
TA 5.4g/l
pH 3.55
RS 1.0g/l
VA 0.55g/l
fSO2 0ppm
tSO2 4ppm
--------THE PRODUCER--------
Testalonga
Testalonga is Craig and Carla Hawkins' baby and they are South Africa’s nominated “Natural Wine King and Queen”. They are producing some of the most innovative wines in the country. They source most of their grapes from farmers with old-vine plots scattered across Swartland, 2 hours North of Cape Town, in the Western Cape. Thanks to their loyal growers they are able to get access to a wide range of grapes such as Grenache, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, Carignan, Cinsault, Viognier and Harslevelu, amongst others.
--------THE GRAPE--------
Tinta Amarella
Tinta Amarela or Trincadeira is a red grape that is commonly used in Port production. The grape is noted for its dark colouring. Its use in the Douro region has been increasing in recent years. The vine performs well in dry, hot climates.
It is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in Portugal. It is the oldest and most widely planted grape variety in the Alentejo region, where it is called Trincadeira. The wine tends to be full-bodied and rich, with aromas of blackberries, herbs and flowers.
--------THE REGION--------
Swartland
Traditionally a grain-producing area, in summer the Swartland district is marked by green pockets of vineyards clambering up the foothills of the mountains (Piketberg, Porterville, Riebeek and Perdeberg) and along the banks of the Berg River. In the past, the region was planted mainly to bushvines but trellising is increasingly being adopted due to advances in management strategies and quality considerations.
The Swartland literally translated means ‘the black land’ and the area takes its name from the now endangered indigenous renosterbos (rhino bush) which once turned the landscape a dark colour at certain times of the year. The district was traditionally a source of robust, full-bodied red wines and high quality, fortified wines. The Swartland Independent Producers (SIP) is a coming together of a group of like-minded producers working to express a true sense of place in the wines of the Swartland.
In recent times, some exciting award-winning wines have emerged, both red and white, and the area continues to produce top port-style wines. Increasing percentages of Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are being grown here, as well as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. It has five designated wards: Malmesbury, Paardeberg, Paardeberg-South, Riebeekberg and Riebeeksrivier. The district of Swartland borders Piketberg to the north, which is not dissimilar in both geography and climate.
