2021 El Bandito 'Skin'

This is for lovers of deeper, more textural skin contact wines. Iconic. Though there’s only twelve days on skins, the fully destemmed fruit and open top fermentation seems to give it a richness and lushness not seen in the Baby Bandito wines. Eleven months resting in foudre might have something to do with that. Deeply spicy and aromatic. A food wine. Craig and Carla of Testalonga are uncompromising in their quest to make not only the best wines they possibly can, but change the global percept...Read More...

This is for lovers of deeper, more textural skin contact wines. Iconic. Though there’s only twelve days on skins, the fully destemmed fruit and open top fermentation seems to give it a richness and lushness not seen in the Baby Bandito wines. Eleven months resting in foudre might have something to do with that. Deeply spicy and aromatic. A food wine. Craig and Carla of Testalonga are uncompromising in their quest to make not only the best wines they possibly can, but change the global perception of South African wine. Sustainability is considered a pipe dream or something radical by most of the wine industry in South Africa, so for these two to throw caution to the wind and settle for nothing less than biodynamic viticulture, they really are an anomaly. Swartland had become the wine region that these kinds of makers are drawn to, rather than the somewhat stuffy confines of Stellenbosch. The wines speak for themselves. They have an ephemerality about them, joyous and sensuous, textural and memorable. They turn classic South African varieties like Chenin (or colloquially, Steen) on their heads with experiment cellar techniques. If you want to bring the best wine at the party, we highly recommend bringing one of theirs. 

Read Less...