Alto, Rouge 2022

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: Deep garnet colour, with a crimson rim.

Bouquet: Dense autumn fruit and fynbos edge, with a hint of charcuterie.

Taste: Notes of succulent plum, crushed blackberry and dry fig are at the fore, while the complexity of classic grape cultivars allow for intricate flavours of pine-needle and graphite to join the fruit in an interwoven whole. Tannins are plush and beguiling, yet muscular and firm, ensuring life-affirming freshness in structure.

Food pairing: Perfect on its own or with roast chicken, pork belly and grilled beef. This wine also pairs well with matured cheese such as Cheddar and Edam and is a lovely accompaniment to creamy pasta dishes like wild mushroom risotto or alfredo.

WINEMAKING
The 4 grape varieties (44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) used to make up this blend ripen at different times and were harvested at 24° to 26° Balling. Each varietal was vinified separately and fermented on the skins for over seven days at 25° to 27°C in closed stainless-steel tanks. The fermenting mash was pumped over several times a day. After malolactic fermentation the component wines were aged for 18 months in a combination of first-, second- and third-fill barriques, of 90% French and 10% American oak, before the desired blend was made.

VINEYARD
The 4 varietals were handpicked from trellised vineyards which grow in Hutton and Glenrosa soils. The north and north-west facing vineyards are situated against the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, some 100m to 500m above sea level, and benefit from the cooling effects of the afternoon maritime breezes during the ripening season. At the time of picking the vines were between 6 and 29 years old and yielded 6 to 9 tons per hectare.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS:
Alcohol: 14,5 % by vol
Residual sugar: 2,6 g/l
Total acidity: 5.7 g/l
pH: 3.51
Extract: 32.5

WINEMAKER: Bertho v. d. Westhuizen
APPELLATION: Stellenbosch
GRAPE VARIETALS: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Additional information

Perfect on its own or with roast chicken, pork belly and grilled beef. This wine also pairs well with matured cheese such as Cheddar and Edam and is a lovely accompaniment to creamy pasta dishes like wild mushroom risotto or alfredo.