Alto, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Description

Alto is a leading red wine producer with over a century of heritage, situated in the prestigious Helderberg Mountains within South Africa’s Golden Triangle. The name Alto is reference to both the farms altitude with vineyards as high as 500m above sea level and the family’s pursuit of excellence. The range of wines is crafted exclusively from grapes grown on the estate, with the distinctive terroir serving as the cornerstone of Alto’s enduring success.

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
Colour: Bright red with a rich, deep hue.

Bouquet: Dark fruit with bright notes of fynbos and graphite undertones.

Taste: Complexity and great structure. Flavours of plum, black-currant and fig paste with a firm line of graphite adding a luxurious dimension to the palate.

Food pairing: Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with red meat dishes like ostrich, beef fillet or lamb. It is also a great accompaniment to game fish like yellowtail or tuna.

WINEMAKING
The grapes were harvested by hand at the end of March at 24o to 26o Balling. After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25o to 27oC, using selected yeast cultures. The juice was separated from the skins after 14 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into first-, second- and third-fill French oak barrels and matured for 18 months.

VINEYARD
This wine is made from grapes of north-facing vines, between 13 and 18 years old, that grow in decomposed granite and clay subsoils situated at altitudes of 135m to 500m above sea level. The vines on the higher slopes are fanned by the cooling maritime breezes from nearby False Bay. A seven-wire Perold trellising system is used, which yielded an average of 8 tons per hectare.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS:
Alcohol: 14.6 % by vol
Residual sugar: 3.2 g/l
Total acidity: 5.9 g/l
pH: 3,68
Extract: 35 g/l

WINEMAKER: Bertho v. d. Westhuizen
APPELLATION: Stellenbosch
GRAPE VARIETALS: Cabernet Sauvignon

ACCOLADES:
Gold – Mundus Vini,
Double Gold – Veritas,
93 points & Top 10 – Wine Mag,
91 points – Tim Atkin,
93 points – Wine Advocate,
4.5 stars – Platters,
92 points – James Suckling.

Additional information

Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with red meat dishes like ostrich, beef fillet or lamb. It is also a great accompaniment to game fish like yellowtail or tuna.