Cabernet Sauvignon

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.

This wine is made from grapes of north-facing vines, between 12 and 17 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 sevenwire Perold trellising system is used, which yielded an average of 7.7 tons per hectare.

After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into first-, second- and third-fill French oak barrels and matured for 18 months.

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.

Alto is a historic Stellenbosch wine estate dedicated exclusively to red wine, with vineyards planted on the elevated slopes of the Helderberg since 1919. Best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and its classic red blends, Alto has built a century-long reputation for structured, full-bodied South African reds with impressive ageing potential.