Estate Blend

Delicious with slow roasted lamb shoulder or beef short ribs braised in red wine. A great accompaniment to mushroom risotto or Spanish style dishes with Chorizo.

The winter of 2022 brought consistent rainfall and a refreshing cold spell, creating ideal conditions for vine dormancy. The mild 2023 summer, free from extreme heat waves, allowed for slow ripening, resulting in excellent tannin maturity and enhanced fruit flavour development. This wine is made from grapes of north-facing vines, between 14 and 20 years old, that grow in decomposed granite soil 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 7 tons per hectare.

The 3 grape varieties used in this blend ripen at different times and were harvested at 24,5° to 25° Balling. Each varietal was vinified separately and fermented on the skins for 7 to 16 days at 24° to 26°C in closed stainless-steel tanks. The fermenting mash was pumped over several times a day. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel, racked once and matured for 18 months in 70% new French oak barrels.

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.