This is Craig and Carla Hawkins 'entry level' Chenin Blanc... only, there's nothing 'entry level' about it! Loaded up with an engaging nose of white peach, apple and a hint of dried herbs, it then shows off a palate that has lovely fruit purity, bright acidity and a saline finish. Immensely enjoyable to drink, superbly crisp and vibrant.

Craig Hawkins is the brains behind the brilliant Swartland winery Testalonga, on the Western Cape of South Africa. He and wife Carla have their own piece of paradise - their own property, named BanditsKloof, in the northern part of Swartland. Here they make some of the countries most exciting wines. But it wasn't always this way.... After leaving his high profile job as head winemaker at local powerhouse Lammershoek, he was still busy making wines for an Austrian winery and trying to find his way to creative freedom. He knew the types of wines he wanted to make - he'd tasted their ilk overseas, from great growers and makers like Francois Cotat and Thierry Puzelat. But the local wine export board was continually rejecting his wines for their lack of 'typicity' - ie they were different to his neighbours wines. But that was the very point! Today he is regarded as one of the most influential and certainly the most exciting winemakers of, not only South Africa, but the the New World. He refuses to bow to convention in his quest for excellence and authenticity, and the wines are stunning as a result.