Testalonga The Dark Side Syrah, deep, fresh, interesting. Craig Hawkins is developing his private vineyard holdings and his range of grape varieties. The Dark Side (suitably labelled in cool bottle!) is pure Syrah but not as you would expect in South Africa. Craig uses the wild yeasts and lees to add minerality and texture to a wine of poise and freshness. It has classic dark fruits and spice, what you expect from Syrah but its acidity and backbone add something extra. The 2015 is still very young and will take a little time to fully knit together in bottle but it already makes for interesting and easy drinking.
| Is Vegan? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Production Method | Natural, Organic |
| Producer | Craig Hawkins |
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Swartland, SA |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Wine Type | Red Wine |
| Wine Style | Full bodied |
| Grape | Syrah/Shiraz |
| Terroir | Granite, Gravel |
| Alcohol | 12.5% abv |
| Maturation | Whole bunch, open top fermentation, aged in 500l barrel |
| Total Sulphur | 18mg/l |
| Annual Production | 0 - 5,000 bottles |
| Ageing Potential | Certainly 5-8 years and will improve nicely over the next 24 months. |
| Food Matching | Charcuterie, Red Meat |
Eric –
If you’re thinking about drinking it later, open it now.
First open, I had a rant in my head about natural wine’s version of parkerization, because this was nothing but cherry juice from a pig trough.
It develops though. Oolong tannins, flint, cherry gets tighter. Flowers bloom. Gets savoury, and that with the flowers finally backs up the northern rhone comparisons this seems to get.
With the acidity, spice and genuine funk it turns out this literally does what it says on the tin; it’s darker coloured el bandito. Drink it with that in mind & it’s delicious.