Estate Blend

This wine perfectly complements red meat, poultry and casseroles and is excellent served with charcuterie and mature cheeses.

This wine is made from grapes of north-facing vines, between 9 and 23 years old, that grow in decomposed granite soils and clay subsoil 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.

After malolactic fermentation the component wines were aged for 18 months in new barriques of French oak, before the desired blend was made.

The 4 grape varieties used to make up this blend ripen at different times and were harvested at 23° 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.

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.